Shifting Gears by Riley Hart

Title: Shifting Gears

Author: Riley Hart

Series: Crossroads #2

Genre: M/M Romance

Release Date: February 10, 2016

Cover Design: X Potion Designs

Summary:
Rod Nelson is used to being someone’s good time, and that’s fine with him. Spending his days at his adult toy store, Rods-N-Ends, he never knows who he’ll meet. The second Landon Harrison walks in, he has Rod’s full attention. It seems as if Landon wants him too, so why won't the man jump in the sack with him already?

Landon never thought he’d return home to the town where memories lurk around every corner. He has to admit, Rod makes the adjustment a lot easier. He keeps Landon laughing. Despite the fierce attraction between them, he’s not willing to risk his newfound friendship to get laid.

Neither man wants something serious, but the more they're together, the harder it is to keep their hands to themselves, until eventually they stop trying.

But flings between friends are never simple, and as they attempt to shift gears, diving into their first relationship, they’re slammed with setbacks. If they want to truly move forward, before they hit the open road together, they’re going to have to let go of a past that could make them crash and burn.

Damned if Rod’s hand didn’t start to shake. He couldn’t move, didn’t know what to say, but knew he had to let something pass his lips. “Why are you doing this?”

The light from the television shone around Landon, and he shrugged. “I know it’s not the same as the real thing, but I just wanted to do something nice for you. That’s it.”

He’d done nice things for Rod already, a big one being the way he’d let Rod drive his bike.

“When’s the last time someone did something nice for you?” Landon asked.

The answer was easy. “The last time I saw you.”

Landon shook his head. “That doesn’t count. That was selfish. I want someone to ride with, and I like sharing my love of bikes. Unless you’re talking about the sex, and then there’s the fact that I came so hard I saw double.”

But this was just for Rod… He tried to make sense of it, tried to work through how they’d gotten here. Landon was the one who made sure Rod knew what this was. It was Landon who didn’t want to take the chance that Rod would read something into it that wasn’t there and now here he was, doing things like this for him. The kind of thing no one had taken the time to do for him before.

“Come on, we’re going to miss the show again.”

When Rod didn’t reply, when he couldn’t reply, Landon continued, “Just ride it out with me. That’s what I’m doing, riding it out. We’re shifting gears, that’s all. Not sure where we’re going. Not even sure I know how to get there, but let’s just try to enjoy the ride.”

And he wanted that. Wanted it so fucking much, that the need ate him alive. It scared the shit out of him at the same time.

Still, Rod closed the distance between them. When Landon sat, Rod went to the other end of the couch, lied down, and put his head in Landon’s lap like he’d done fifty times before.

Landon touched his hair, ran his fingers through it and neither of them spoke; they just continued sitting there together, watching the show.

Author Bio:
Riley Hart is the girl who wears her heart on her sleeve. She’s a hopeless romantic, a lover of sexy stories, passionate men, and writing about all the trouble they can get into together.

She loves reading, flawed characters, and hanging out with her husband and children, who she adores. She and her family live in Southern California, soaking up the sunshine, while also missing seasons. Not a day goes by that she isn’t thankful she gets to wake up and do what she loves.

Life is good. Riley also writes young adult and new adult under the name Nyrae Dawn.

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Shifting Gears #2

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Catch My Heart: A Valentine's Collection by Lyssa Layne

Title: Catch My Heart: A Valentine's Collection

Author: Lyssa Layne

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: January 1, 2016

Cover Design: KS Thomas

Summary:
No one said love was easy. No one said love was perfect. No one said love didn't hurt. No one said love would last forever.

Follow these characters from your favorite Lyssa Layne books as they experience Valentine's Day in an unexpected, non-traditional fashion…

Love is a Fire/Burst Into Flame
Andy Garrity lost the love of his life almost three years ago. Giving in to his daughter-in-laws, he decides it's time to get back in the saddle and go on a first date for the first time since high school. Before he even meets his mate, Andy's having second thoughts and ready to pass on this opportunity at love.

Everybody's After Love/My Favorite What If
James Paul and Brianna Rossi are expecting their second child in less than a month. Brianna can't wait to have a daughter while James Paul is thrilled to have a new princess to spoil. Brianna has the perfect day planned for her husband until she’s blindsided in a way she never imagined.

Loved by the Linebacker
Recovering from a torn ACL, Blake Purser isn't used to taking it easy. He also isn't used to not having his best friend, Camila Lemos, spend more time with her boyfriend and his brother Evan than him. His long-time on-again, off-again girlfriend, Molly Feiser, is doing her best to entertain him during the off season but Blake isn't prepared for her latest news.

Holding the Other
Lee Maverick and Miranda Wallen are the king and queen of country music. The married couple have ruled the charts for the last ten years and fans love the chemistry between them. Before the night is over, this Valentine's Day will be one for the records.

My Favorite What If
Sloan Talbott and Jacob "Smitty" Smith are spending their first Valentine's Day as a couple. In the short time they've been together, they've carved out the perfect nook for just the two of them. Having spent the last six months in Italy, it's time they head back to the States and learn to be together with their meddling families surrounding them 24/7.

Love's not easy. Love's not perfect. Love hurts. Love doesn't last forever. Can these couples endure love at its ugliest or will it break them down more than they can endure?

Synopsis of Each Book:

Love is a Fire

“Love is a fire. But whether it is going to warm your heart or burn your house down, you can never tell.” -Joan Crawford 

Dr. Katy Malone has sworn off love after losing those she loves most in her life including her father, a member of the FDNY. She has decided to spend her time focusing on her medical research. Her ex-fiancée, and fellow doctor, isn't ready to give up on loving her though. 

Firefighter Nick Garrity is on a search for the future Mrs. Garrity. As he pushes thirty, with no prospects in sight, he's afraid he'll never find her. A devoted member of FDNY, he loves the thrill of his job and the satisfaction it brings him. He strives to teach the proby firefighter, Patrick Doyle, the ropes and pass on his passion to him. 

When Doyle tries to impress the guys on the crew, he ends up in the care of Dr. Katy Malone. One look at Dr. Malone and Nick knows he's found his future wife but can he convince her to love again?

Burst into Flame

“In everyone’s life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.” -Albert Schweitzer 

For Dr. Katy Garrity, life is a whirlwind, and the New York Fire Department is the heart of the storm. After claiming so many people she loved, including her own husband, Katy is left adrift, trying to keep up with a busy career, a baby son, and her loving extended family. 

Her only anchor is Jesse O'Neil, her late husband's best friend. The charming former playboy has put his entire life on hold to care for Katy and her son. It's inevitable that sparks will flare between them, but all of life seems to be conspiring to keep them apart. Especially Katy's own heart, which shies away from trusting another firefighter. 

Will the flames of passion burst into a lifetime of love? Or will secrets burn away their connection, causing Dr. Garrity to be burned again?

Everybody's After Love

Jules Rossi’s world is about to be turned upside down when her big brother, Paulie, announces his engagement. Having been raised by her brother after their parents died, she’s used to him being her knight in shining armor and isn’t ready to share him with anyone else. 

Throughout all the wedding festivities, Jules’ path continues to cross with Paulie’s future brother-in-law, Bentley Ladner. Bentley soon begins to take on Paulie’s role in Jules’ life, which neither of the Rossi siblings is too sure about. Can Jules cope with the secrets Bentley is keeping? Or will she lose his support when she finally decides to give love a chance? 

Loved by the Linebacker

In a man's world, Camila Lemos is one of the top sports agents in the market. The athletes beg for her attention, not just for business, but in the bedroom as well. However, feisty Brazilian beauty Camila is more than meets the eye and refuses to become involved with any of her clients, no exceptions. 

Linebacker Evan Purser is the newest man in his family to join the NFL. Guided by his older brother and fellow teammate, he signs with Camila. Once the agent and the linebacker meet, anything but sparks fly. 

As the tension rises, so do the feelings for one another, but neither will admit it. Evan can’t let go of the past. Camila’s not sure she can risk her reputation for love. When the walls are broken down, will a touchdown be scored or will it be yet another fumble for both?

Holding the Other

On Valentine's Day, Country Music King Lee Maverick's life took a drastic turn when his wife, fellow country crooner Miranda Wallen, asked him for a divorce. It's exactly what both of them wanted but after ten years touring together, Maverick is unsure what his career will be like without Miranda. 

Kyle Kelly, or KK as her friends call her, has been waiting for her big break into the country music scene. After another broken heart from a local guitar player, KK decides to give up on her musical aspirations, but her best friend, Brianna Rossi, refuses to let it go that easily.

Thanks to her best friend, KK joins the newly divorced Maverick in his singing endeavors. After spending the first part of the tour fighting their attraction for one another, they finally give in to the inevitable. Both think they've found their happiness... until Maverick's ex wants back in the picture, exactly where she left off.

My Favorite What If

One year after Jacob "Smitty" Smith is stood up at the altar, his good friend Jules encourages him to redeem his honeymoon package before it expires. Reluctantly, he agrees, and finds himself sitting beside free spirit Sloan Talbott, who is attending her sister's destination wedding at the same resort. Both have been hurt. Neither is looking for love. Will one week in paradise be a fling to remember or could it possibly lead to something more?

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 an avid St. Louis Cardinals fan, a runner, blogger, and an infertility survivor.

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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To Dance Again & Catalina and the Winter Texan by Hebby Roman

Titles: To Dance Again & Catalina and the Winter Texan

Author: Hebby Roman

Series: Catalina & the Winter Texan: Snowbirds #1

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Dates: To Dance Again: December 11, 2015

Catalina & the Winter Texan: June 16, 2015

To Dance Again
Summary:
They say a woman never forgets her first love, and Maricel Cardona hasn't forgotten Ramón Morales. She remembers dancing all night in Ramón's arms to the sensual beat of their homeland, Puerto Rico. When her family forced her to move to the States, she didn't know she was carrying Ramón's child.

A self-made multi-millionaire, Ramón hasn't forgotten Maricel and the passion he felt, dancing with her. Now, at the pinnacle of his success, he's withdrawn from the world to safeguard his own secret. A secret that, if revealed, would change his life forever.

Reunited after twenty-seven years, will the high school sweethearts get a second chance at love or will their secrets tear them apart?

Catalina & the Winter Texan
Summary:
Catalina Reyes has sacrificed everything to own a beach-front recreational vehicle park. Widowed and struggling, her Park falls on hard times and needs extensive renovations to stay open.

When Manuel Batista, a widowed and successful contractor rents a slot at the Park, he's immediately attracted to Catalina and captivated by her fiery spirit and determination. Manuel helps Catalina to renovate her Park. Working together, their relationship sizzles, but Catalina realizes Manuel will return north after the winter. Unwilling to start a long-distance relationship after a painful breakup in her previous marriage, she must learn to trust again.

Can they overcome Catalina's fears and bridge the gap of hundreds of miles between their homes and families to find a second chance at love?

To Dance Again

Placing his glass on the coffee table, he half-turned toward her. “When did you realize you loved me? And what kind of love is it? Are you in love with me as a man or as a fond memory?”

Her head pounded. Too much booze. Too many questions. 

Why was he doing this—giving her the third degree? And who gave him the right, rubbing her nose in it? Fury flooded her but rather than stay and fight, she wanted to run away. She needed to get away from him, like when they’d been driving. 

But she wouldn’t run. Not this time. Instead, she threw caution to the winds. “I’ve always loved you, Ramón, from the very beginning, since we were kids.”

He crossed his leg and ran his hand down the pleat of his pants, as if to smooth it. His action was so controlled, so cool and collected, she wanted to scream. 

“You could have fooled me,” he said. “You went to the States with your parents and never looked back. I begged you to return and marry me. You kept putting me off.”

“You mean you couldn’t wait. Your impatience and pride got the better of you.” She took a deep breath. “You were supporting your mother, for heaven’s sake. We both needed degrees to survive.”

“Did we? We were young and in love; we would have gotten by.” The tone of his voice was uncommonly hard, unforgiving as stone.

So this was it. He wanted her to pay for an ancient wrong? But he'd been in the wrong, too; he hadn't known how much she'd needed him.

Catalina and the Winter Texan

“Could you put Migo there?” She pointed to the counter beside the sink.

“Sure.” Manuel hoisted the Lab as if he weighed no more than a cream puff. 

Watching him lift her dog, Catalina couldn’t help but notice the bulge of Manuel’s biceps and the corded strength of the tendons in his forearms. 

Her mouth went dry as sawdust. The air in the kitchen felt close. She swallowed hard and fought the urge to fan herself. Like Super Glue, her gaze was locked on his muscular arms. Not only did he look like a bear, if she were any judge, he was as strong as one.

Standing this close to his raw masculine strength and with the soapy-clean, man-smell of him tantalizing her senses, her stomach muscles tightened. And lower, she felt the old, familiar stinging ache.

He glanced over his shoulder. “I’ve got him. Bring on the soap and alcohol.”

She jerked her head up, and a flash of heat basted her face. She’d been daydreaming—or fantasizing.

She grabbed a bar of soap and the bottle of alcohol she kept by the sink. Then she turned on the water faucet and lathered her hands with soap. She grasped one of her dog's hind legs and worked the lather into his fur.

Migo whined and tried to wriggle away, but Manuel clamped down, holding him still and soothing him with low words. 

She focused on Migo, not daring to look at Manuel or accidentally brush against him. After liberally soaping the cuts, she used a wet dishtowel to rinse them. Then she bent over to examine the wounds.

“They’re not deep,” he said. 

His voice, rumbling from the expanse of his broad chest, forced her to glance up. Her gaze met his. This close, she could see the thick fringe of his eyelashes framing his brown eyes. He had a small bump in the middle of his nose. An old break—maybe from a fistfight? 

But as strong as he was, she couldn’t imagine him fighting. There was something innately gentle about Manuel Batista. Even the firm but tender way he held Migo.

A lump lodged in her throat. What she wouldn’t give to be held like that. How long had it been since someone had protected and cherished her? She closed her eyes, fighting an overpowering urge to bury her face in Manuel’s broad chest. And just as swiftly as the urge swept over her, she recoiled.

What was wrong with her? Had she flipped out?

Author Bio:

Hebby Roman is the multi-published author of both historical and contemporary romances. Her first contemporary romance, SUMMER DREAMS, was the launch title for Encanto, a print line featuring Latino romances. And her re-published e-book, SUMMER DREAMS, was #1 in Amazon fiction and romance.

Hebby is a member of the Romance Writers of America, and the past president of her local chapter, North Texas Romance Writers. She was selected for the Romantic Times "Texas Author" award, and she won a national Harlequin contest. Her book, BORDER HEAT, was a Los Angeles Times Book Festival selection.

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The Pleasure Slave by Jan Irving

Summary:
Lucius Mettelus Carbo, once a legate on the rise in the Roman army, rescues a beautiful young prostitute, Varick, who immediately stirs him. However, Lucius doesn't believe anyone could want him, a man cursed by the gods with an ugly, twisted leg. He resists his attraction to the pleasure slave as they forge a tempestuous relationship, and Varick tries to convince Lucius that he desires his master despite the injury. Both men are fighting their fears as they strive toward a future together… a future in the shadow of the volcano Mount Vesuvius.

This is a pleasant and enjoyable read of Ancient Rome set in the time leading up to the destruction of Pompeii.  The idea is intriguing but I think the story would have been better had it been told slower because at times it feels rushed.  Don't get me wrong, I'm glad I read The Pleasure Slave, sometimes the dialogue had a bit of a "now instead of then" feel but still extremely entertaining and a great addition to my Ancient Rome library.

RATING: 

Pompeii, July, 79 AD
LUCIUS METELLUS CARBO rubbed his knee after the ankle of his mangled leg turned in one of the deep wheel ruts on the streets of Pompeii. It was hot today for the Ludi Apollinares, the special festival of games and arts in honor of Apollo. Hot enough to make olives drop from the trees and leave dark marks on pale marble. Hot enough that he'd rather be in the pleasant coolness of the baths, having his knee rubbed by any slave he could summon that was good at hiding any distaste for touching Lucius's wasted leg. But despite his preference to stay in the seclusion of his home and shun contact with people, here he was in his best sandals, a new tunic, and the purple-trimmed toga he was entitled to wear as a member of the Roman Senate… not that he had ever sat there.

Not after the destruction of his legion, the once proud XV Primigenia.

He limped painfully away from the crowd now, wishing he could go home, but he still had an errand. He'd promised his friend, Titus Flavius, who was dabbling in local politics, to see if he could find some entertainers for his upcoming banquet.

Flavius appreciated a very earthy kind of entertainment and wasn't huge with coin, so Lucius figured entertainers culled from the brothel would appeal to his tastes. He would make the arrangements and pay for it as his contribution to Flavius's campaign, as he approved of the issues Flavius proposed to speak for.

He hobbled by the baker's, glancing through the open doors of the shop at a beefy man slapping round loaves into shape on a simple wooden table while another man opened the iron door of the oven to retrieve now-baked loaves. The inscription and phallus in relief etched in stone caught Lucius's attention: Hic habitat felicitas. Happiness indeed lived for a man who enjoyed his food and his cock.

Lucius didn't pause, even for the sardines laid out with salt and glittering with oil in the fierce sun, though his stomach growled, reminding him he'd had his plain soldier's staple of porridge flavored with bacon this morning and nothing else, not even watered wine or figs.

But Lucius had little appetite for anything. His face tightened as he thought of his personal shame.

He paused at a water fountain, hoping it would be clear today. Lately the fluid had been a little unpredictable, even warm and brackish. It was water from the main stream brought by aqueduct into the city, so by rights it should not fail, even during the summer drought. Fortunately, it flowed cool this afternoon, so he gratefully drank his fill, wiping his hands dry discreetly on his clothing as he looked at his rippling reflection in the water. The noon sun made it look like gems shot light around his image's head like a crown, and he remembered what it had been like to be young and glittering, the glorious, handsome legate on the rise.

Now silver shot in his dark brown hair at the temples and his eyes had lost the hardness of a warrior, a conqueror.


HE HEADED to the street where the brothel was, bits of graffiti illustrating what specialties could be found in the dim little alcoves. Beyond hanging curtains, he could hear the sounds of grunts and whimpers. It might be early, but when a man got that itch…. And once upon a time, Lucius may have come here, since he had been a lusty man, but not since the spear had shattered his leg in Germania, had left him broken.

Lucius hadn't had an encounter with anyone since that time. His bad limb couldn't have taken the strain of fucking, and he found he'd lost all interest in the things he used to do before he'd spent months in mud and blood: before he'd seen so many of his men die, starved, crying out in fear in the misty, spirit-cursed forest.

He idly studied the illustrations on the arches over the whores' cribs. None stirred him, nor did the sounds. The truth was, although he had bedded both men and women in his life before, he had always preferred his male lovers. But he had been ambitious back then, wary of getting the reputation for someone preferring to live as a Greek. Ironically, now that it wouldn't matter, he couldn't touch someone for fear of seeing revulsion in his eyes.

He flinched at the sound of a slap and an exclamation of pain. Since his injuries, he was sensitive. He had even nursed a sparrow with a broken wing over the spring, something that the old Lucius would never have done. He frowned, thinking it must have cost the customer extra; some did like their congress rougher, true, but if the goods were damaged….

A soft, accented voice whispered, "Please, Sir, no more—"

The voice held Lucius's attention, the familiar tones of someone from Gaul, captured there and sold into a life of slavery, most likely. He sounded young, fighting tears. Lucius scolded himself for listening as he waited for the proprietor. He had heard the sounds of despair from boys before, usually right before they tried to gut him.

The thought stirred painful memories like smoke rising from a blackened altar, so Lucius closed his eyes, willing himself to forget. Why did he still wake in the middle of the night with his heart pounding? Why did he sometimes lose himself, forget he was here in Pompeii and seem to live again as he had on the battlefield?

Still, hardened as he was, he found himself walking towards the rough curtain shielding an alcove beyond the wooden stairs that led up to more beds above. He lifted away the cloth to see a young man with a long, pale back lying over a crude stone bench, presenting his ass for the pleasure of three wealthy young men. Lucius noted that the slave's back was bleeding from deep welts delivered by a switch.

The boy twisted to cover himself, daring to resist, despite being a slave; one customer shoved the switch into his mouth, while another grabbed the young man's long staff and gave it a painful tug.

Lucius had seen so much… and yet, this seemed so unnecessary. There was enough death, enough pain in this world that to seek it for mere amusement….

"Enough!" he barked, his voice booming out with the assurance of one who had commanded men, whose words had been life.

"Who are you?" one pouty boy dared ask.

"Never you mind," Lucius gritted. "Leave the Gaul."

But the ring leader persisted, perhaps having seen the weariness in Lucius's eyes and taken it for weakness. "What right have you to—"

Lucius picked up a stool by the doorway and hit the mouthy one in the face with it. He followed with a brutal kick that shot pain up his leg like red lightning but stopped the soft youth before he could push it further. The fool would probably have wanted it to come to knives, and then Lucius would have killed him.

"Out!" he ordered all three, folding his arms. Seeing he was a trained soldier and not a lazy city dweller, they lost no time in grabbing their semi-conscious friend and dragging him by the arms away from Lucius's presence.

Lucius sagged a little and his hand found his scarred knee, patting it like an old friend. It would give way soon, or he'd be up all night from the shooting pains. He wasn't sure some days what was worse: living in shame and disgrace or being dead and rotting as an abandoned bundle of bones in a desolate place.

After catching his breath, he studied the young man and reluctantly had to appreciate his startling beauty. He looked to be in his early twenties, with eyes like vivid blue stones, the pale silken skin that must have surely attracted his admirers, pink lips so perfect to take a man's swollen cock and suck him to ecstasy. Indeed, this one was extraordinary for such a common brothel.

Tear tracks dripped silent on a clenched face, but the young man glared at Lucius with more hate than for his abusive clients. Ah. He'd seen a Roman soldier before. Probably been sold into slavery after his town or village had been taken.

"You'll be alright now," Lucius said gruffly, and then he turned to leave, running a hand through his hair, wondering what such a beautiful boy had made of the mongrel who had come to his rescue.

"Roman lord," the young man called, his accent still a little thick. "Why save a whore?" The voice was soft but seethed with the flames of hate.

"Because…." His throat tightened as he remembered. Lost. Hiding. And then someone had found him. A boy. Taken his hand and led him from the place where all his men, his comrades and his friends and his lover, had been starving, haggard. "I just don't think it's necessary," he answered honestly, softening his tone to add, "Go clean yourself up, boy."

Lucius let the curtain fall and thought this might be the only time he'd ever lifted such fabric in a whore's crib and not enjoyed the body he'd found there.

But that was another life.

He limped back to the table where the brothel owner now waited, helping himself to the offered bread, which he dipped in a small bowl of olive oil. It lodged thick in his throat. He kept seeing those startling, gem-like blue eyes.

The owner said nothing about the three youths Lucius had ousted, probably because they'd been embarrassed by losing the tussle that left Lucius struggling to push aside his impressions of the slave. He ordered the entertainment for his friend's banquet, but all the time he dickered, he was aware that he was being observed by another pair of eyes than those of the owner.

Finally, he asked, "The boy in the back room. What's his story?"

"Fine goods, yes? I rent him out usually by the week to those with, ah, Greek tastes. He was a nobleman's toy, but he was a little too spirited. Here he is learning his place. He's a sweet lay if you'd like to try out his mouth or ass."

"Not now," Lucius said, not wanting to say not ever. "He's… hurt."

"He didn't want to take them all, but it was enough coin that he could have a day or two to recover." The man shrugged, scratching his thick neck.

"Still, I would like…." Lucius sighed. He lowered his voice, not wanting the Gaul to overhear. "What is his name?"

The proprietor blinked, pushing back springy black hair with beringed fingers, studying Lucius sharply, no doubt seeing his interest in the Gaul and thinking to turn it to his own profit. "Name? You would have to ask him, my lord."

"Here." Lucius handed the man more coin. "Give him those few days to recover."

"You don't want him? I can strap him down and stop his foreign talk if you prefer. He's not so proud then."

Mulling over his exchange with the beautiful slave, Lucius realized he'd been talking to the boy using some of the rough words he'd picked up in Gaul. He'd been there so long on campaign, he hadn't noticed.

"No… Just let him be. And I'll be around to check," Lucius warned sternly.

"I'll send him to you if you have a house, for your bed and to attend you in your bath. He's good at that, at least, good sir!" The man eyed the coin, obviously hoping for more.

Lucius sighed, thinking of his family home, which did indeed sport a small bath. And his aching leg. Well, it was one way to know if the boy wasn't put to work right off, but he wasn't sure he wanted eyes the color of the noon sky on his leg. "All right, but not today," Lucius said crossly, weary now. He wanted his bed and hoped only that he could sleep without pain. Perhaps he'd summon the Greek physician and drink his potion of brief forgetfulness. "Tomorrow's soon enough." Tomorrow the thought of the boy wouldn't twist his belly with a hunger he could never satisfy.

As he left, he caught a glimpse of the stone blue eyes before the curtain twitched sharply closed again. He'd probably made a huge mistake. A young man as defiant as that one was likely to use Lucius's own knife on him rather than rub the twisted leg.

Retracing his steps, he fell in the street and panted, fighting tears. Finally he managed to make it to a bench, where he sat near a small group of old men.

When he got home, he slid down to the hard pebble mosaic sprawling in neat squares around the floor of his atrium and lay, breathing his relief.

Author Bio:
Jan Irving has worked in all kinds of creative fields, from painting silk to making porcelain ceramics, to interior design, but writing was always her passion.

She feels you can’t fully understand characters until you follow their journey through a story world. Many kinds of worlds interest her, fantasy, historical, science fiction and suspense—but all have one thing in common, people finding a way to live together—in the most emotional and erotic fashion possible, of course!

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A Fortune to Die For by Liza O'Connor

Title: A Fortune to Die For

Author: Liza O'Connor

Series: White Oak-Mafia #1

Genre: Contemporary Mafia Suspense

Release Date: February 1, 2016

Summary:
Megan Clarke had a good life until she wins the Mega Times Lottery and discovers the prize comes with a curse. Worse than the many money-hungry suitors, a serial killer has her in his sight. She changes her name and moves to Iowa with plans to buy their last major forest of white oaks and turn it into a State Park. Unfortunately, the Lottery Curse doesn't stop at state lines and someone there wants her dead, as well. Good thing a disturbingly handsome law officer is just as determined to keep her alive.

Megan Clarke set the package on her kitchen counter with great care. “It’s probably nothing,” she chided herself. Opening a letter that came in the same mail delivery, she changed her mind as she read another threat to kill her. She hurried to the phone and hit her speed dial for the local cops. Her hands shook despite her mental self-assurances that everything was okay.

A female voice answered the phone. “Danville Police.”

Recognizing Margaret’s voice, she replied, “Hi, this is Megan. Is Sergeant Adams around?”

“No, he’s on vacation. You get another death threat?”

“Yeah, but there’s also a package. I know it’s stupid, but I’m afraid to open it.”

A heavy sigh sounded over the phone. “I swear, all your troubles since you won the lottery has made me afraid to even play scratch-offs. Hold on.” 

Megan pushed her blond hair behind her ears. The craziest part about her winning the Mega Times Lottery was she never played games of chance—thought it a great waste of money. She had already become a millionaire by her own efforts. Why did she want to be richer? She had more than enough. 

Then one day, while in a New York shop buying lunch, her friend, Terry, a bona fide lottery junkie, had insisted she buy a ticket. “It only cost a dollar. Stop being a miser!” Not wishing to argue, she passed the clerk a dollar. “Just give me a random number,” she instructed the fellow, then frowned as her friend filled out ten cards. “You do realize if I win, you have to take the money,” Megan warned.

Terry stared at her with rounded eyes. “No way! You can’t give away your good luck. If you win it, you have to keep it. Otherwise, you and the recipient will have bad luck the rest of your lives.”

So when the stupid ticket turned out to be the only winning number for a $987-million-dollar pot, all the bad luck stayed with her alone. Honestly, she wouldn’t wish her “new” life on a dog, nevertheless her best friend.

Since she was a financial expert, she took the $463 million upfront and invested half of it, planning to donate the other half to charities. Only problem was, whenever she delved into various charities, she didn’t like the way they used their money, so thus far, she’d only managed to give away a few million.

“Miss Clarke, I’m Detective Steve Williams,” a pleasant voice came over the phone. “How may I help you?”

“I received a package today. It has a name and address I don’t recognize.”

Complete silence answered her.

“Are you still there?”

“Yes, ma’am. I’m just a little confused. Marge said you had a letter threatening your life.”

“Yes. I have one of those, too. It doesn’t have a return address. Nor is it signed. But the letter and the package came in the same post.”

“So you think the package may be from the sender of the death threat?”

“This one or one of the hundred other angry letters I’ve received.”

“Mind if I stop by and take a look?”

Mind? Why did he think she was calling? If only Sergeant Adams were there. “I’d greatly appreciate it.”

Author Bio:
Liza O’Connor lives in Denville, NJ with her dog Jess. They hike in fabulous woods every day, rain or shine, sleet or snow. Having an adventurous nature, she learned to fly small Cessnas in NJ, hang-glide in New Zealand, kayak in Pennsylvania, ski in New York, scuba dive with great white sharks in Australia, dig up dinosaur bones in Montana, sky dive in Indiana, and raft a class four river in Tasmania. She’s an avid gardener, amateur photographer, and dabbler in watercolors and graphic arts. Yet through her entire life, her first love has and always will be writing novels. She uses all her life experiences to create interesting characters, set them loose, and scribe what happens.

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