UNCHAINED HEARTS, by Palessa

Unchained Hearts by Palessa

******Blurb******
Book 1 in the Baxter Family Saga Series

Kyle Avery, CEO of Mama Avery Foods, has been summoned to a special meeting by a note from her late mother, Virgilia Avery. When she arrives, she meets the elusive mogul Newton "Cass" Baxter, CEO of Baxter Chemicals and learns of the nearly forty year history her mother shared with Cass, as well as the obstacles they'd been forced to endure. As Kyle struggles to understand their history, she's forced to confront the man who loved and left her, Brandon Hall, VP of Baxter Chemicals and the adopted son of Cass Baxter. Kyle and Brandon unite in love, but separate in tragedy. They are forced to deal with the sad legacy of their parent's lives as well as their own heartbreak. It's up to them to finally break the chains which bind their hearts and find their own path to happiness.
*Content Warning: Adult Content, may have some explicit scenes.


****EXCERPT****

When she finally got her ticket, she stood at the door, digging through her purse. Just as she reached for the handle, her hand touched someone else's. She looked up at him and felt a sudden jolt through her body. Their eyes locked for what seemed like an eternity.

Virgilia was suddenly lost in his warm emerald green eyes. He looked at her brown eyes and caught his breath.
"After you," he said, as she suddenly remembered where she was and why.

"Thank you," she managed to get out as she walked through the door he held open.

Neither of them had ever felt that way before and didn't know what to make of it. Was it a case of static? It felt a little too good to be just a random shock.

Virgilia tried to shake it off as she made her way into the theater. It was packed and she craned her head to find a possible seat. There were a couple of vacancies close to the front. Virgilia hated being that close to the screen, but as the saying goes, beggars can't be choosers. She found a seat and relaxed a bit. Not long after, her green-eyed doorman sat next to her.

"I'm not following you," he said, grinning at the look of surprise on her face. "This is just the only seat which seems to be left"

"Don't worry. I didn’t think you were following me"

"Why not? Aren't you worth following?" he flashed Virgilia a devastating smile which made her blush. Before she could even think of an answer, the lights dimmed.

She felt him lean in to her "We will continue this discussion later." Her stomach shivered as she cleared her throat and focused on the screen.

Throughout the movie, the audience’s reaction just heightened the tension of the scenes. Virgilia had no idea how big this shark was, but she knew the next time she decided to go to the beach, she would definitely rethink it.

A couple of times, the movie made her jump, much to the amusement of her doorman.

"Don't worry, Precious," he whispered. "I'll protect you"

Virgilia felt the pit of her stomach flutter when he called her "precious." If it were any other man, she would have been offended, even threatened. With him, it felt natural to hear him to call her that and she didn't even know his name.

When the movie ended, she stared at the screen, reading the credits. When she turned to glance at him, he was gone. Virgilia felt a pang of disappointment.

As she exited the theater, she felt a presence behind her. She turned to see him smiling at her.

"You never did answer my question. Don't you think you're worth following?"

"I will only answer questions from men whose names I know."

"Fair enough" he said as he extended his hand "My friends call me Cass."

"I'm Virgilia," she said as she shook his hand

"That's quite a name. I think I'll call you 'Lila' for short."Normally she hated it when people called her by some modification of her name, but this one seemed different. "Do you often change the name of the people you meet to suit yourself?"

"Only the special ones."

Virgilia felt her cheeks get hot and her stomach do backflips. No stranger had ever made her feel so at ease.

For his part, Cass was fascinated by this vision he saw before him. There was something about this woman, a light, a fire which drew him in and made him want to lose himself in those gorgeous brown eyes. He’d never felt anything like it before and was not going to let this opportunity pass him by.

"Yes," Virgilia said, suddenly.

"Yes, to Lila?"

"That too, but I meant the answer to your question." Cass looked a little lost and then she said, "I am worth following."

Cass felt his heart flip as he grinned. "Shall we?" he said offering his arm.

They walked around and talked for what felt like minutes, but turned out to be hours as evening turned to dusk. Virgilia's face hurt from smiling so much; she couldn't recall the last time she had such fun by herself or with anyone.

Cass found her smart and witty and even more beautiful than when he’d opened the door for her. He had met some stunning women in his life, but tonight, they seemed merely passable compared to Lila.

"It's getting late." She said "I had better get home"

"I'll walk you." he announced.

"No, I don't live too far from here."

He held his hand up. "I'm not letting any woman walk alone at night anywhere, no matter how close she lives."

They’d only just met, but the look on his face said he wasn't going to take ‘no’ for an answer. She thought better of starting an argument as they slowly made it to the gate of her house.

"Well, this is me," she said.

He nodded and looked at the house. It was small, modest, and held a bit of charm with the low white fence separating it from the house next door.

"Cass, I had a wonderful time."

"So did I," Cass said as his gaze moved from her eyes to her lips. "I want to do it again."

Virgilia wanted the same, but she had to be practical. "Maybe we should leave it at tonight."

Cass looked Virgilia straight in the eyes with a determination he felt deep within him. He was not used to hearing the word ‘no’ from a woman. But from this woman, the thought of not seeing her after tonight was completely unacceptable. "I don't believe you believe that. I can see it in your eyes…”



****BIO***
Palessa started reading her first romance novel, at the age of 11. Then she got introduced to V.C. Andrews, Barbara Taylor Bradford, Anne Rice and many more notable contemporary authors as well as some of the classics, A Tale of Two Cities, Their Eyes Were Watching God, The Great Gatsby and others. It was during her teenage years that she dabbled in writing. First, it was in her diaries, then she started creating characters, stories about romance, the supernatural and much more. Being an I.B. student as well as entering college, left little time for writing and so she put it and the ideas aside to pursue a career. It would take almost 20 years, a radical move from the city she grew up in, Miami, FL back to her Caribbean birthplace, and a chance Facebook meeting with Sable Hunter to start the juices flowing again. After some fits and starts, the Baxter Family Saga was born. Unchained Hearts is Palessa's first published fiction book with Beau Coup Publishing. She considers herself just a storyteller that sees no reason to shy away from the juicier romantic elements. She currently lives in the mountains of Jamaica with her crazy, cracker-munching-mutt Ivy and a farm, primarily managed by agribusiness partner, also known as Dad.



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Rapture at Midnight, by Isobelle Cate

Author bio: Isobelle Cate is a woman who wears different masks. Mother-writer,  wife-professional, scholar-novelist. Currently living in Manchester, she has been drawn to the little known, the secret stories, about the people and the nations: the English, the Irish, the Scots, the Welsh, and those who are now part of these nations whatever their origins. Her vision and passion are fuelled by her interest and background in history and paradoxically, shaped by growing up in a clan steeped in lore, loyalty, and legend.
Isobelle is intrigued by forces that simmer beneath the surface of these cultures, the hidden passions, unsaid desires, and yearnings unfulfilled.

 

 

Rapture at Midnight

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Excerpt

Roarke's family had taken Finn in two centuries ago when his uncle, a Cynn mortal and monk had passed away. Roarke was like an older brother to him. Roarke's parents had showered him with all the love he could possibly ask for, While Finn was grateful and happy being part of the Hamilton family, nothing could remove the gaping hole in his heart that losing his parents had made.
“You okay?” Roarke looked at his second-in-command.
Finn nodded.
“Where is she?”
“It's not necessary, Roarke. She won't bother us,” he said, his jaw clenching.
Finn heard him sigh slowly.
“You know I can't allow that.”
Finn swore underneath his breath before he breathed heavily. Roarke was right. They needed to erase her memory about the existence of the Cruor. For both their sakes. It was how the Cynn had survived this long. It was also how mortals continued on with their lives, not knowing the depths of evil existing in the world. A Cynn Cruor warrior could never reveal their secrets to a human unless they claimed one as their Mate. Until then their two worlds had to remain separate.
Erasing the female’s memory was also the only way to help her remove the self-loathing she had for what they’d shared. She would not remember him. She would not remember the kiss. Finn felt as if a stone lay heavily in his gut.
“I'll do it.”
Roarke arched a thick eyebrow, his arms crossed over his muscled chest.
“You sure about that? You're still healing, Finn. Your strength is not at an optimum level,” he said. “It doesn't take a genius to see that something happened between the two of you, or you wouldn’t be partially healed.”
“I'm coming with you.” Finn said as he faced Roarke. Irritation swept over Roarke's face. Finn didn't care. He wanted to be there when Roarke erased her memory.
Roarke stared at Graeme, Blake, and Zac several feet away from them. They were picking up the Scatha's clothes to dispose of them in a safe place.
“Does she mean that much to you?” Roarke asked, looking at him with curiosity.
The question was unexpected and it startled Finn. His eyes narrowed before turning to look at his Cynn Cruor brethren as well.
“It will pass.”
For once Finn became uncomfortable under Roarke's censure, but eventually his team leader’s shoulders appeared to relax. He nodded.
“Let's hope so. For your sake.” He spared Finn a glance before ordering the rest of the Cynn to head back to the Faesten.

 

Forever at Midnight

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Excerpt

The fear of the unknown was something he’d never felt before. And now that he had Deanna to think of, the emotion held him in a stranglehold. He closed the door and pivoted around to see Deanna kneeling in the middle of the bed. After a slight hesitation he walked toward his clothes and immediately began to dress. He tamped the uneasiness down and forced his hatred for the Scatha to the fore. So many Cynn Cruor warriors and their spouses had been killed by the Scatha and their leader, Dac Valerian. One of the most brilliant generals under Julius Caesar, Dac used to be known as General Gnaeus Valerius Dacronius. Roarke had no intention of allowing Dac to destroy his new found happiness. He was one of the best warriors of the Cynn Cruor. He would protect Hamel Dun Creag.
And  Deanna.
Roarke sat down on the bed to lace up his boots. He couldn't look at Deanna as his hands jerked at the laces. He jerked when he felt her hand on his arm. Roarke sighed deeply before turning to her, capturing her mouth with his. His tongue speared through her lips, desperation and anger in his kiss. Although Deanna shared his fear, she poured as much love and hope into her embrace as possible. Their tongues mated eagerly, hungrily, stoking their common desperation.
Reluctantly, he ended the kiss and placed his forehead against hers.
“Roarke, you have to go,” she said before placing her arms around him, her cheek resting on his shoulder.
He nodded, his face a mask of determination, the planes harsh with commitment to his Cynn Cruor brethren.
“Stay here,” he ordered as he looked at her. She gasped, bringing her hand to her throat. Roarke knew his mate saw his eyes change to red-orange. His mouth pressed into a thin line. “I'm sorry if I frighten you.”
She shook her head. “You don’t. I know it’s not the time to say this, but I like it.”
Roarke's mouth twisted to a wry smile.
Deanna stood up when he did. Her hair covered one breast as if to give her a modicum of modesty, but she was unabashedly unashamed of her nudity, something which Roarke admired. He watched her as she adjusted his leather belt before putting the rest of his tartan over his shoulders. As she walked toward the chair by the corner of the room, the flames from the hearth danced softly against her body. She picked up Roarke's dirk and bent to try and pick up his claymore. Roarke tamped down the surge of lust firing his loins at the sight of her round bottom and swaying hips.
“You'll have to pick up the sword, my laird,” she said with the barest of smiles as she handed the small dagger to him, hilt first. “I'm but a wee lass to carry the likes of that.”
He looked at her, then gestured toward the dagger with a thrust of his chin. “Keep it. For  your protection.”
Suddenly, she flung herself at him. Roarke crushed her in his embrace, inhaling her scent of lavender and the smell of their recent lovemaking. Closing his eyes, he kissed her hair. He felt her shudder and give a soft sob. Roarke felt his heart tighten with pain.
“I will be back, Deanna,” he murmured. “No one can separate us now. I have put my scent on you. You are mine.”
Gently, he moved back to look at her. “If I die, so will you,” he said. “In the same way, I will become just a shell of myself and eventually join you, should you pass ahead of me.”
“I will wait for you Roarke,” she said, caressing his face.
Roarke couldn't help the feeling of pride that filled his heart at her strength of will.
“I will wait for you to come back to me.”
“Unless it's necessary, stay here,” he instructed as he grabbed his weapon. “Dinnae open the door to anyone. Understand?”
Deanna nodded.
Roarke swooped down to give her a hard kiss.
Then he was gone.

 

 

Please Stop by and join Beau Coup Author Isobelle Cate’s fun and exciting “The Sexy Ides of March” event on March 15^th. (The link is below! ) We will see you there!

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February Lover, by Rebecca Royce

Aidan Roux fled New Orleans fifteen years ago, leaving behind a woman he loved. Planning to keep it light because he has no intentions of sticking around, he’s caught off guard by his mother’s health crisis. Forced to stay, he challenges Stacey to be his lover for February with no expectations of anything else.

Stacey never stopped wanting Aidan, but she’s not a girl anymore and she meets his proposition with one of her own. A hero, just back from Afghanistan, he’s the perfect guy for her calendar contest. If he wants her in his bed, he’ll pose for her camera.

Stacey and Aidan seem made for each other—but old hurts cannot be forgotten and love isn’t always enough…

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February is for lovers! Come celebrate the release of Rebecca Royce's February Lover. This sexy contemporary is set in New Orleans (yum) and features a second chance at romance for an Army doctor and the woman he left behind. New Orleans, military, medical, and a second chance at passion? Does it get better than this?

Enjoy games, prizes and more including 1 $20 GC (Amazon), 4 $5 GC (Amazon) and some backlist titles from Rebecca!

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 Need a sexy desktop calendar? Here ya go... Mr. February

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I'm Face Blind

I'm pretty sure I have Prosopagnosia (a disorder of face perception), also known as Face Blindness. I've not been officially diagnosed with it, and I only have a mild form of it, but I can't remember faces that well. And I thought that was normal, that everyone was like me. Apparently not.

I didn't know this was a disorder until last year when I read about Brad Pitt in a May 2013 interview with Esquire Magazine, he said that he thinks he has face-blindness. His is pretty bad off, he can't remember people's faces at all when he walks away from them. I remember them somewhat. However, the more time that goes by I forget details. The faces just become blurry, blank, or at best a vague memory.

Had I not read that article on Brad I would never have known, and I would still be in my happy-faceless-little-world. Thanks a lot Brad. Because after I read that article, I thought, "Shit, that sounds a little like me."

Now when I can't sleep I lay in bed next to my husband and stare at him. Then I close my eyes and try to remember his face. I don't know why I do this, it's the same result every time. I see his face briefly behind closed eyes, then it starts to fade away. Then I grab onto one feature of his face and hold on to that memory. Like his nose, lips, or an eyebrow. But then I can never reassemble the whole face. So I open my eyes and look at him again trying to memorize it. It never works, and this causes me so much frustration. Again, Thanks a lot Brad!

When I go into my memory banks and try to recall a person, I have to think about the whole person. A full body shot if you will. I have more luck that way.

But I have to laugh when I think about it, I'd be a sketch artists nightmare. I'd remember everything else about the person though, but not facial details. A fat lot of good that would do.

Being this way really isn't an issue with writing, but it might explain why I don't go into major details when describing my characters. I'd never given it a lot of thought before. But no one's complained to me about it. So I might be safe there.

If I've met you, and spent more than an hour with you, once I come across you again my brain will let me know that I know you. I will recognize you, as long as I don't close my eyes we'll be okay. I might not be able to remember how I know you, or where from, but my brain will tell me that I know you. Aside from that, if you're a social media friend of mine or an acquaintance from waaay back, please don't be offended if I can't place you. Help a girl out and tell me who you are and how I know you.

###

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One Night with the Bridesmaid, By Sara Daniel

One Night with the Bridesmaid – New Release from Sara Daniel (@SSaraDaniel)

I’m celebrating the release of One Night with the Bridesmaid, a 1Night Stand novella that follows the maid of honor from One Night with the Bride. This is a short, super-sexy, stand-alone read. I hope you have as much fun reading Sabrina and Rob's story as I had writing it.

Gifted with a 1Night Stand, Sabrina Lopez decides to use the chance to hook up with a man who knows how to give a woman pleasure—a man she’d never have the nerve to approach in real life. Madame Eve exceeds her expectations with the opportunity of a lifetime—and the man of her dreams, movie director Rob Wellington. He might be out of her league, but she’s willing to risk it all for one night.

Believing Sabrina responsible for breaking up his brother’s wedding, Rob sets out to stop her from scamming her way into the groom’s bed—even if he has to take his brother’s place. The last thing he expected to discover was a woman he could love and hold for the rest of his life—if he can convince her that he wants more than one night….

If you missed One Night with the Bride, here’s a peek at it. (Both books are stand-alone, so you can jump into either story and feel right at home!)

When her society matron mother presents Caroline with a one-night stand date a week before her wedding, she’s appalled. Even worse, the encounter will take place at the fantasy ranch resort operated by her high school lover, Javier Alvarado. Although determined to remain faithful to her fiancé, she’s tempted and intrigued to see her first love again. It’s not like she has to sleep with him.

But one look and kiss later, she yearns for the man she walked away from so long ago. Unfortunately, when Javier discovers Caroline is engaged, all he can see is deception and heartbreak all over again.

Can a 1Night Stand from Madame Eve reunite them or will one night with the bride sever their ties forever?

To celebrate the release of One Night with the Bridesmaid, enter the Rafflecopter for a chance to win a $10 Amazon gift card or a Captivating the CEO key chain.

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