The Protector by HelenKay Dimon

Today we have the release day blitz for The Protector by HelenKay Dimon! Check it out and get your copy today!

Title: The Protector:

Author: HelenKay Dimon

Genre Romantic Suspense

About The Protector:

Salvation, Pennsylvania. The commune located in the small town was advertised as a modern Utopia: a place to live, share, and learn with other like-minded young people. Cate Pendleton’s sister was one of them. Now she’s dead—and Cate won’t rest until she finds out who killed her. Stonewalled at every turn, she approaches a DC Fixer for help and ends up with Damon Knox, a mysterious man with a secretive past. But Cate soon discovers that she not only needs Damon, she wants him, which isn’t good—for the attraction brewing between them will only lead to complications that can turn into danger . . .   Damon has tried to erase the hellish memories and the evil that happened in Salvation ever since he left a long time ago. Still, he can’t turn his back on Cate. As Damon works with Cate to uncover her sister’s killer, he finds himself drawn to her more and more. But how will she feel about him when she learns about his connection to the place?   Joining forces to uncover the truth, they must stay one step ahead of a cunning killer who’s bent on not being exposed.    

Get Your Copy Now:

The Protector:

Kindle | Nook | iBooks | Google Play | Kobo | Avon Digital

Review: 

Can I just say I wish I had a Protector like Damon! Yes, he is a bit moody, has a bad view of himself but when it comes to something he wants… Well let’s just say he is a very stubborn man, and what is the best way to annoy that kind of man? You give him an even more determined and stubborn women to look out for.  Cate lost her sister in what was called an accident, but the details never made since to her. She needed answers and wouldn’t stop until she got them. I loved Cate in this book, she is strong, independent and knows what she wants. She knows she could be killed in her pursuit for answers but keeps looking, needing that closure. She also can go toe to toe with Damon which means I loved her even more. This is Book 4 in this series and I am definitely going back to read the rest! Now go one click this baby and curl up in your reading spot! I know you will love it.

Exclusive Excerpt:

Cate Pendleton dumped her grocery bags on the kitchen counter and glanced around the living room area of her small one-bedroom condo. Flattened pillows. Magazines spread across the coffee table. A blanket in a ball on the floor from where it slipped off her last night while she watched television. The remote stuffed between cushions. Everything was exactly where she left it when she took off on her store run an hour ago. But something struck her as off. She felt it rather than saw it. A violation of her scared space. A lingering menace. The sensation of unknown hands skimming over her things. A shiver skated through her at the thought. With her keys sticking between her fingers like a weapon, she walked around the condo, peeking in the closet and looking inside the bedroom. The journey ended back here she started. She approached the couch nice and slow. She listened for footsteps, but the only sound came from the hiss of her clunky, usually-malfunctioning icemaker. She leaned toward the cushions, just a bit, and sniffed. There it was. Aftershave. Faint, but present. Since a man hadn’t been in the condo for weeks the smell was out of place. And this was not the first time this had happened. She came home two days ago to the same scent. A mix of musk and orange. The last time it happened in the evening. This time in the morning. On that first day, she found her patio door unlocked. Living in a city, she didn’t take her personal safety for granted. Being two floors up, tucked behind rows of government buildings and a few blocks back from the National Air and Space Museum in downtown Washington, D.C., she kept her guard up. The neighborhood served as home to many congressional staffers. Traffic, both human and the car variety, moved in a steady beat. But she knew better than to assume everything was fine. She locked her doors. All of them and all the time, but someone got in. A punch of awareness moved though her as she brushed her fingertips over the arm of the chair. The idea of someone snooping through her stuff, standing in her space, made her gag. Last time nothing was stolen, so she skipped calling the police with that fear. Wrote the whole thing off as faulty memory. She knew something strange had happened, but she blocked it and pretended otherwise. But this was different. From the first whiff of that cologne, the trembling started deep down in her stomach, spun up to her head and would not stop. She forced her mind to focus. Someone kept getting in without leave much of a trail. They didn’t stick around, and for that she was grateful. Nothing stolen. Not obviously, anyway. Her sister. That’s what this had to be about. Cate thought back to the last six weeks and all the ground she’d covered. She poked around, asked uncomfortable questions and clearly upset someone. She got too close, which was exactly her plan. Maybe she uncovered some piece of information she hadn’t realized yet. But she would. If someone broke in thinking they’d figure out her strategy or grab every lead she’d collected, they miscalculated. No way would she make it that easy for anyone to destroy her work or derail her. After the first time this happened, she called the police but that led nowhere. A second call likely would end the same way. They would ignore her, write her off as the crazy one with the dead sister. Add to that her complaint wouldn’t pinpoint any clear evidence. This was about a sense of a presence, of being spooked, and she would become the new lunchtime story for the officers. But she knew. He had been there. He or she. The person knew how to get in and was playing with her. The next time she might come home too soon. Despite her worries and the downsides, she picked up the phone and dialed the one person who might be able to help her, the mysterious D.C. fixer. The guy no one ever saw who went by one name – Wren.  

Catch Up On the Series!

The Fixer:

Kindle | Nook | iBooks | Google Play | Kobo | Avon Digital

The Enforcer:

Kindle | Nook | iBooks | Google Play | Kobo | Avon Digital

The Negotiator:

Kindle | Nook | iBooks | Google Play | Kobo | Avon Digital

The Pretender:

Kindle | Nook | iBooks | Google Play | Kobo | Avon Digital

 

About HelenKay Dimon:

HelenKay Dimon spent the years before becoming a romance author as a...divorce attorney. Not the usual transition, she knows. Good news is she now writes full time and is much happier. She has sold over forty novels and novellas to numerous publishers, including HarperCollins, Kensington, Harlequin, Penguin Random House, Riptide and Carina Press. Her nationally bestselling and award-winning books have been showcased in numerous venues and her books have twice been named "Red-Hot Reads" and excerpted in Cosmopolitan magazine. She is on the Board of Directors of the Romance Writers of America and teaches fiction writing at UC San Diego and MiraCosta College. You can learn more at her website: www.HelenKaydimon.com

Connect with HelenKay:

Twitter | FB page | Tumblr | Instagram | Pinterest

Enter HelenKay’s Giveaway:

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Book Blast: An American Cowboy in Scotland by Em Taylor

 

BLURB:

 

As Rhona Lorimer waits for her new boss to arrive, she reckons things can’t get much worse. The manager of the Scottish estate has to explain to her new American boss that the estate is in ruins and there’s no money left. When the drop dead gorgeous cowboy turns up in full Highland regalia, looking like he fell off a shortbread tin, Rhona knows she has her work cut out. 

The locals don’t take to Lord Cole Macallan, so Rhona feels obliged to show him hospitality. But the guy is hot. Can Rhona fight her feelings for her new boss as their worlds collide and they discover just how much Scotland and America are two countries divided by a common language… but brought together by mutual passions? 

 

 

 

 

 

EXCERPT:

 

 

We walked out of the castle, Cole carefully ducking his head, and moved around to the side. The sun was weak but there was the promise of warmth and as we crunched over the gravel, I lowered my head and smiled. I had expected him to be a little forlorn that his castle would not become like something out of Braveheart or the Tudors but Cole was excited.

“Do you think we would need one of those balconies?”

“Maybe.”

We turned onto the grass, which was a little damp, being in the shadow of the ancient building. He automatically reached for my arm though I was sure-footed and steady. He moved his fingers down to my hand and clasped it.

Ever so slowly I allowed my fingers to curl as I held my breath, waiting to see if he would realise his mistake. But he didn’t. He stared ahead and continued to walk down to the back of the castle where he brought me back out into the beautiful sunshine. Wind whipped my hair into my face and with my free hand I swiped it behind my head.

“It’s just as purdy down here as it was from the top floor of the castle,” he said—his slow drawl dancing over the word ‘purdy’ and playing havoc with my girly bits. “Almost as purdy as you.” It was then I realised we were standing almost with our backs to the castle wall. He moved in front of me and cupped my chin with his free hand, still holding onto my hand with the other. Had I even breathed since he had clasped my hand? I must have. I would surely have expired by now if I hadn’t. I gazed up into his eyes, the colour of melted chocolate, and bit my lip.

As his head lowered to mine, I let the lip go and breathed out, my free hand moving to rest on his impressive biceps. And then his lips were on mine, soft and gentle, coaxing and urging mine to move in tandem with his. I was relieved he wasn’t one of those guys that come at you with their tongue hanging out as if you were an ice-cream cone.

Instead he was what I like to call a lip-kisser. He used his lips first before he introduced his tongue—flicking it lazily out to meet mine, to tease, to tempt, to illicit groans, to tickle the roof of my mouth and send pulses of need south. I moaned softly and wrapped my arms tightly around his neck.

 

MY REVIEW:

****Please remember this is just my opinion, I always encourage my followers to make up their own minds up on books****

This short book was given to me as an ARC to read and an honest review; it has only nine chapters and an Epilogue. I knew going into this book the relationship between the main characters would have to develop quickly because of the length of the story. What I was not counting on is the lack of character depth. Cole starts out saying he will not sleep with an employee, aka Rhona. Rhona is worried she will lose her job once Cole finds out the estate he has inherited in Scotland has no money, a rundown castle and main house. She has a sense of right and wrong and shows this repeatedly in the story. I was disappointed in how quickly both let go of their moral stands and fell into having sex. One page Rhona says how she thinks their connection is moving too fast and she want to take it slow, turn the page and they are having sex. I know many people might like this in a book, the “I want you so bad screw the normal” but I can’t say I am one of them. At the end of the book, I knew more emotional stuff about Rhona than Cole and yet still didn’t really ‘know’ them.

                As is my style though I try to find good and bad in a book so here is the good: There is the famous happily ever after and I am glad for that. Cole seemed to really like Rhona and the chemistry between them was instantaneous. There are some funny parts and emotional revelations. I wish I could say more but this is supposed to be a true review and I can’t lie. I wouldn’t read this one again but I won’t write off the Author either. Everyone has an off book and I would love a chance to read something else by Em to compare it too. Thanks all for reading if you disagree then I am glad, I hate writing bad reviews but remember it is just my opinion.

 

 

 

BUY & TBR LINKS

 

AMAZON KINDLE US – http://www.amazon.com/American-Cowboy-Scotland-Em-Taylor-ebook/dp/B010GGX2S4

AMAZON KINDLE CA – http://www.amazon.ca/American-Cowboy-Scotland-Em-Taylor-ebook/dp/B010GGX2S4

AMAZON KINDLE UK – http://www.amazon.co.uk/American-Cowboy-Scotland-Em-Taylor-ebook/dp/B010GGX2S4

AMAZON PAPERBACK – http://www.amazon.com/American-Cowboy-Scotland-Em-Taylor/dp/1515389898

GOODREADS – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25809120-an-american-cowboy-in-scotland

SHELFARI – http://www.shelfari.com/books/39047676/An-American-Cowboy-in-Scotland

 

 

 

AUTHOR BIO

 

Em lives in the small village of Dundonald (which features in An American Cowboy in Scotland) in Ayrshire, Scotland. She regularly visits Dundonald Castle for coffee, cakes, inspiration and chat. When she’s not writing historical, contemporary and vampire romances, she’s trotting around the country to film and TV conventions, hob-nobbing with celebrities and avoiding housework.

 

Em is still waiting for her own Colonel Brandon to come along but since she’s sick of kissing frogs, she’s quite content to hog the TV remote and have the whole sofa to herself.

 

 

AUTHOR FOLLOW LINKS

 

AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE – http://www.amazon.com/Em-Taylor/e/B00GVEG83M/

WEBSITE / BLOG – http://emtaylorromance.weebly.com/

FACEBOOK – https://www.facebook.com/pages/Em-Taylor/992165330794156

TWITTER – https://twitter.com/emtaylor_3

TUMBLR – http://emtaylorromance.tumblr.com/

BLOGLOVIN – https://www.bloglovin.com/people/emtaylor9-4762971

GOODREADS – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7326970.Em_Taylor

 

GIVEAWAY PRIZES

1 Prize Pack Containing - Sterling Silver Scottish Thistle necklace bought from Dundonald Castle Visitors Centre, signed paperback of An American Cowboy in Scotland, Dundonald Castle guidebook and postcard.

 

*TO ENTER LOOK ON THE FAR RIGHT OF THE BLOG WHERE ALL PRIZES ARE POSTED*

 

 

The McCade Brothers series by Samanthe Beck

Book One: Undercover Lover

                Kylie Roberts had a dream, she knew it would take a while to accomplish but knew if she stuck with it she could achieve it! She also swore as a young girl to never let a man into her life to derail those dreams like her mother had. So what in heavens name was she doing on a stage dancing at a gentlemen’s club! Why was her focus drawn to a sexy man sitting in the club? The answer was one word… Stacy, her twin sister ad given her an ultimatum. Dance or be homeless because they wouldn’t be able to afford their apartment without the high-end strip club tips. Kylie hates the lying, sneaking, and the hungry looks Trever McCade keeps giving her. When she stumbles upon a murder her life gets even more complicated.

                Detective Trever McCade doesn’t frequent strip clubs, but one look at Stacy (really Kylie) and he can’t stay away. He uses the excuse that she is the key witness to a murder but really, he is drawn to her in a way that has never happened to him before. All their talks and dances give him a nagging feeling that something about her is not right. Once he realizes the twins have switched identities all becomes clear, but the killer is after “Stacy”, this means Kylie is in danger. Keeping her close when she keeps pushing him away is not easy. Trever wants to catch the killer and capture Kylie’s heart, Kylie is determined to keep their relationship purely physical. Who will win this fight and will it happen before the killer turns his anger onto Kylie instead of the men that she dances for?

                From the first paragraph, I knew Samanthe had a winner on her hands, but all the stripping and private dances did have me pause. This was the first book I have read with a stripper as the main character, but Kylie being a virgin and dancing in a club was too intriguing to stop reading. Samanthe gave good descriptions and I could “see” into the world Kylie was trying to fit in. I loved reading about the relationships Kylie was able to build and that Trever saw her even through he disguise. This as a book I started reading because I wanted to read book 3 but had to start at the beginning (my preference, all three can be stand alones but they are better in order). Kylie and Trever are a great match and worth the read, I was not disappointed!

 

Book Two: Wicked Games

                This is a novella telling the story of Stacy Roberts and Detective Ian Ford, Trever McCade’s partner. Stacy doesn’t want a steady relationship because she is waiting for the shoe to drop. Every time her life is going as planed someone she loves bales on her, the only one she can count on is herself and her twin Kylie. Ian loves Stacy, he understands why she keeps pushing him away but when she brakes things off completely he doesn’t give up. He gives her the space she says she needs, until a death threat is written to Stacy. At a huge Halloween party their passion and longing collides in a back room. Stacy gives in to Ian and her desire for him. When the emotions get to much she escapes, blending right into the crowd and possibly into the killers hands. Can Ian save her before he loses Stacy forever?

                This novella was a fast read for me because I was on the edge of my seat wondering who wanted Stacy dead. I wanted Ian and her to get together but, for me it was the murder and threats that grabbed me. If you like a true thriller this one is good for you, there is love, anger, passion, and possible death involved. Samanthe wrote her screens in a way that it was like watching a move, you could see the acts being preformed and you wanted to yell at the characters to hurry up, watch out, and be careful!   

  

Book Three: Falling for the Marine

                This is the book that started me on my journey to read this series. Samanthe Beck posted a teaser and I was obsessed. Every time I tried to read another book that scene she posted popped in my head, like a song that won’t get out of your head. I had to read the book to get the curiosity to stop. It took me longer then I wanted but I finished it! In amongst college classes, starting a website, my girls, and everything life was throwing at me I did finish it. I give it five plus stars for drawing me in and not letting go. I have found that Samanthe Beck is very good at this, I have yet to read one of her books that doesn’t keep me turning pages.

                This is the story of Marine Michael McCade, Trever’s younger brother. One common thread between this book and Undercover Lover is the determination of the McCade brothers. When they find the women they love, they go to extreme lengths to prove to them they are not going anywhere. This is the same thing with Michael. He meets Chloe Kincaid in a very unexpected way, that imprints her on his memory. She is not his normal type, and he is everything Chloe swore to stay away from. Passion and fire can not be denied for long however. They problems occur when Michael wants Chloe to stay with him for more then just their physical connection. Chloe doesn’t want to stay in one spot, let alone get involved with a military man. She tried to tell this to Michael but nothing ever went the way she planed. For instance she didn’t plan on losing her job, being forced to accept Michaels offer to live with him, or having to pretend to be engaged to save Michael from being court marshaled. Her life is a mess, but even during our biggest messes great things can happen, that is if Chloe will let herself embrace them. This book is a rollercoaster of fun, Chloe is full of spunk and brings straight laced Michael out of his shell. The best of these books so far!

 

***There is a number four book to this series, Best Man with Benefits, but this is also a part of The Wedding Dare series. I have not read it yet but as soon as I do you will see the review posted! This is youngest McCade brother Logan’s story.***

Blog Tour For Heart's Desire by T. J. Kline

 

Blurb

TJ KLINE’s brand new Healing Hart's series kicks off with HEART'S DESIRE

 

If you could have anything, do anything… what would it be?

 

Jessie Hart has a soft spot for healing the broken, especially horses and children, but her business is failing and bankruptcy is looming. The one man who can save Heart Fire Ranch is the last man she wants to take advice from - financial expert Nathan Kerrington - the same man who broke her heart eight years ago.

 

Nathan Kerrington has it all, except the one thing he’d wanted most - Jessie. Now that he’s finally freed himself from his corrupt family, he wants to make amends. When he’s called in to save Jessie’s ranch, he sees his chance to win her back - if only he can prove to her that she can trust him with her heart…

 

 

 

MY REVIEW:

 

Can I just say that T. J. surprised me with how much I liked Nathan in this book! She took a job that is not heard of much in books, Financial Analyst, and made the man HOTT. Nathan comes from a rich, connected family that demands perfection always. He never knows anything else until his roommate in college shows him Heart Fire Ranch and the family that runs it. To his best friend Justin and Justin’s sister Jessie Nathan was going to be around for a while. Then out of nowhere, Nathan moves out of the apartment he and Justin share and doesn’t come around again until eight years later.

                Jessie Hart fell head over heels for Nathan when he stayed for the summer and thought it was mutual until he never contacted her. She gave him everything and he had said he would call and be back, eight years had passed and nothing. Now her brother Justin is dogging her about bad finances and insists Nathan can and will help. With no choice, she must face the man who shattered her heart, and trust him with what holds the rest, her ranch.

                This was a fantastic mix of lost love, tension, tempers flying, fun and women power in a great story. After reading the first chapter, I was unable to put it down and want you all to know it is necessary read. This series will show you that nothing and no one are ever too far gone to find love and reach even the craziest of dreams. T. J. Kline opens us up to Jessie’s pain of so much more than just lost love. I could tell it was going to get complicated and that there was more to this book than just a love story. Love, romance, passion are all in here but there is also pain, flaws, sadness, and fist flying action. Great combination of everything I love reading in a book T. J., I cannot wait for the next book in this series.    

 

Link to Follow Tour:  http://www.tastybooktours.com/2015/03/hearts-desire-healing-harts-1-by-tj.html

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23285837-heart-s-desire?from_search=true

Goodreads Series Link: https://www.goodreads.com/series/146550-healing-harts

 

Author Info

T. J. Kline was raised competing in rodeos and rodeo queen competitions since the age of 14, She has thorough knowledge of the sport as well as the culture involved. She has had several articles about rodeo published in the past in small periodicals as well as a more recent how-to article for RevWriter. She is also an avid reader and book reviewer for both Tyndale and Multnomah.

 

Author Links:  Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Website:  http://tinaklinesmith.com/
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/TKlinesmith
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/TinaKlinesmith
Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7558685.T_J_Kline

 

 

 

 

What’s Left of Me by Amanda Maxlyn

            Amanda Maxlyn writes with an impact, her story has real life issues and emotion mixed with something we all are drawn to – Love. When I first read the description to this book I will be honest and say I wasn’t sure I could read it. Some of you know from past posts that I recently lost my step-father, a man who taught me to reach for my dreams, to cancer. I have avoided movies where I knew the person had it for fear of the worst. When I saw that the main girl had cancer I was very leery and to anyone else who has not read this for that reason, I say read it anyway. I did read What’s Left of Me; it was fantastic from start to finish. Yes, Aundrea McCall is ill, but she is fighting! This is a story we should not avoid but embrace.

Aundrea McCall is twenty-one, she is smart, beautiful, has plans for her future, and wants to be treated like everyone else. She is in a new town where very few know about her medical history and has plans to keep it that way. When her best friend comes to visit and convinces her to have a night of fun, she does. Finding a hot guy she is drawn to they leave for what she believes to be a one night stand (her first ever). What she doesn’t realize is the Hotty has just signed on to be a partner in her brother-in-laws Veterinary practice! Parker (hotty) has made it clear he wants her in his life, but she doesn’t want to get serious. Relationships lead to sharing secrets and Aundrea isn’t ready to see the passion leave Parkers eyes to be replaced with pity.  She has a decision to make, tell him or let him go… Can Aundrea trust the one person that has the power to break her heart? Trust me you need to read this book and DO not STOP reading until the last page.

Having a mom that is a nurse and a step-father that was a brilliant doctor I was able to see that Amanda did her research very well. She shows how emotions are fragile and strong, we can build each other up and that gives amazing strength to fight anything thrown at us. Look for Amanda’s second book to this one What’s left of Us, coming out Nov. 14^th. I will have an excerpt to post on the 4^th and will be posting a review on the 14^th.

Tell me what you think of this book? Was it something you liked right away or had to get into?