Sunday, September 30, 2018

Bare Devotion Tour and Giveaway



Bare Devotion

The Bayou Bachelors #2
by Geri Krotow

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Pub Date: 9/11/2018


Sweet and sultry, hot and wild…that’s desire, Louisiana-style. And there’s no one better to explore it with than one of the Bayou Bachelors…
Returning to her flooded New Orleans home to face Henry Boudreaux, the man she jilted at the altar, is the hardest thing attorney Sonja Bosco has ever done—even before she discovers she’s pregnant. Sonja backed out of the marriage for Henry’s sake. He wants to be part of his father’s law firm, and his parents will never approve of an interracial marriage. Better to bruise his heart than ruin his life.
Henry can’t forgive Sonja, and doubts that he can trust her again. But learning that they’re going to be parents means there’s no avoiding each other. Springtime on the bayou is already steamy enough…now they’re living in the same small space while their damaged house is repaired. And with each passing day they’re getting a little more honest. A lot more real. And realizing that nothing—not even New Orleans at Mardi Gras—glows brighter than the desire they’re trying to deny…



Sonja bit into the almond croissant with the hunger that had plagued her everyday of the past few weeks. Like clockwork, her appetite returned late morning after the morning nausea passed.
She knew the exact night she’d conceived the baby. Her body had felt ‘different’ after the lovemaking session with Henry that had lasted the better part of a late winter night after they’d won a particularly challenging case. At first she hadn’t been able to pinpoint it and blamed her exhaustion on prenuptial jitters. The week before the wedding her breasts swelled, her nipples became sensitive to the shower spray, and she’d felt as though her period was about to start at any moment. But of course it hadn’t. She’d known two days before the wedding for sure. Thank God she’d only shared it with Poppy. If Henry had known she didn’t think she’d have been able to walk away from marrying him as she had.
The memory of leaving her soulmate at the altar made the pastry feel heavy in her stomach and she paused, closing her eyes and breathing in and out slowly to ward off a wave of nausea. Anytime she remembered their wedding day she felt sick all over again.

“Is it that good?” Her eyes flew open at the sexy baritone that only a few weeks ago had coaxed an orgasm out of her as he spoke dirty words into her ear while he moved over her, inside her, again and again.

It’s delicious.” She put the croissant down on a napkin, next to her stack of files. Henry’s gaze dared her to look away and she never backed down from anyone, so she stared back. A quick flash of disgust shadowed his face before Henry looked away and sat in the seat opposite her, reaching over for his files. Usually they sat together, ready to work until whenever it took to get the day’s items checked off. It wasn’t going to get easy, ever, to know he thought so little of her. Knowing she deserved it for something he didn’t even know about yet—the baby—made it worse.
I imagine you need time to go over these.” A deft verbal pitch to see how she’d react. Would she go high, admit she should have been back in the office last week, or go low and blame him for her staying away, or ignore it? “Alesia sent me the files last week. I’ve read through them all.”
He had to be playing her—Alesia told Henry everything. He’d know she’d had copies to analyze. Their roundtrip tickets to Bali had gone unused, so it wasn’t as if she’d been out of the country and unable to do any work.
Any concerns?” He kept his face low, focused on the paperwork, but she saw the blood vessel just above his collar, pulsing in rhythm to his heartbeat. Whenever Henry was agitated that was his tell. She used to like to lick it right before he came. Heat erupted between her legs and made her squirm. Apparently her guilt over not telling him about the baby wasn’t the only reaction she couldn’t shake. She clasped her legs together under the heavy mahogany table, grateful Henry didn’t have x-ray vision.
No, nothing to speak of.” Her voice was low and throaty and she wished she’d tendered her resignation. It would be so much easier, especially now when every damned hormone in her body was setting off emotions she didn’t even know she was capable of. But a deft noncompete clause she’d signed when his father had hired her prevented her from going out on her own just yet.
Brilliant blue eyes watched her with usual alertness. “You sure about that, Sonja? You’re acting like something’s not sitting right with you.”
It’s just this.” She motioned very slighting between them, using her finger. “Awkward with a capital ‘A,’ am I right? We didn’t talk about it as much as we probably should have this morning.”
Of course dearest Deidre’s appearance had shut down any chance of the conversation they needed to have in private. The curiosity in his eyes turned to frosted crystal.
Let’s get it out on the table, then.” He splayed both hands on the dark polished surface, and she wondered if he’d forgotten about the time they’d both arrived to work early, too early. They’d ended up here, naked, in under five minutes. Did he see her naked body as she’d knelt on all fours, waiting for him to take her?
There is nothing here. Whatever we shared was wiped out when you decided to ignore my attempt to explain my actions to you.”
Wait a min—”
No, hold up.” He shot down her attempt to interrupt him with a flick of his hand. “You made your choice. And you’ve decided to continue on at this firm. We both need to raise the funds to get the house rehabbed well enough to sell. Fine, I get it. But don’t think for one minute that there is anything other than our working relationship at stake. We’ve always enjoyed that, correct? And I’m willing to work with you, until the day you decide to leave the firm. Because, let’s face it, I’m not going anywhere. This is my family firm. You, you’ll go out on your own or take a better offer elsewhere. That’s okay. Until then I expect the best you have to offer, and for you to kindly refrain from referring to what we shared. It’s over.”
Sonja stared at the man who’d hung the moon for her and only saw the stamp of Boudreaux on his expression. The same look his father had when she’d told him to take the money and referral he’d offered her to quit when she and Henry announced their engagement and shove them up his tight white racist ass. He’d never fire her, not as a black woman in his otherwise very white, very male firm. And regardless of his racist views, Sonja brought in a lot of business for their firm that they’d otherwise never catch. She’d expected Henry’s father to give her a hard time, but not so much Henry. She’d been a fool.
Our professional relationship never had anything to do with our personal life. Why should it now?”
Henry didn’t respond but instead glared at her. He may as well have thrown a machete at her for how his silent gesture pained her.
The door clicked open and Alesia entered with trays of lunch food, followed by two clients and Rick, the firm’s other NOLA attorney. As she and Henry stood to greet them she eyed her almost-husband. Her ex-fiancĂ©. The man who’d broken her heart.
Henry was tall and professional looking, whether dressed in a classic suit as he was now or in cargo shorts and a t-shirt like yesterday. He’d been born to inherit his father’s firm, a lawyer’s mind part of his gene pool. And until their wedding weekend, she hadn’t seen that he’d also inherited the insatiable need to make everything appear perfect. Hence the pristine wedding they’d almost gone through with.
Henry wasn’t a people pleaser though, especially not to his parents. He’d bucked their sensibilities and desires by choosing to marry her, a black woman from a bayou family. Henry had never seen her as anything other than the woman he’d decided to marry. She believed that. What Henry had refused to see, however, was that his father was never going to leave the firm to Henry as long as Sonja was his wife. The firm was going to be dissolved and all of his father’s money given to charity, eschewing being generous to either of his sons. Henry’s younger sister, a social worker, was in the naval reserves and somewhere overseas, so she wasn’t even on the family radar. She hadn’t gone to law school; neither had Henry’s younger brother Brandon. It wasn’t about the money, which was significant, but about family legacy. Henry was the man to change it, to turn the law firm into a contemporary, relevant part of the community, serving diverse clients and causes. He saw that corporate law didn’t have to mean serving the same good ol’ boys his father had.
But Henry would never have the chance to improve upon his family legacy if she were around. The younger siblings had gotten the hell away from the family dynasty. But not Henry. Henry needed to be part of his father’s legacy in a way the other two didn’t. Because Sonja saw this, saw the need in the man she loved so desperately, she’d had no choice but to back out of their marriage. She’d do anything for Henry’s happiness, and Henry would never be happy without knowing he’d made a difference in what his father had began. He’d never forgive her for leaving him the way she did and that was all right. Sonja didn’t want Henry’s forgiveness. She’d wanted his love, understanding and trust, but her expectations had been too much.

Henry didn’t have it to give.

And as she watched him, the one man she’d ever pinned all her hopes on, she had to face the cold hard truth. She was as unworthy of trust as Henry.


Fully Dressed
The Bayou Bachelors #1

There’s nowhere hotter than the South, especially with three men who know how to make the good times roll. But one of the Bayou Bachelors is about to meet his match…
New York City stylist Poppy Kaminsky knows that image is everything, which is why she’s so devastated when hers is trashed on social media—after a very public meltdown over her cheating fiancĂ©. Her best friend’s New Orleans society wedding gives her the chance hide out and lick her wounds...
Brandon Boudreaux is in no mood to party. His multi-million dollar sailboat business is in danger of sinking thanks to his partner’s sudden disappearance—with the company’s funds. And when he rolls up to his estranged brother’s pre-wedding bash in an airboat, a cold-as-ice friend of the bride looks at him like he’s so much swamp trash.
The last person Poppy should get involved with is the bad boy of the Boudreaux family. But they have more in common than she could ever imagine—and the steamy, sultry New Orleans nights are about to show her how fun letting loose can be…
New Orleans serves as a strong supporting character in Fully Dressed as Krotow gives an inside view on the sights, sounds, and tastes of the bayou.” —RT Book Reviews


Poppy!”
Poppy Amberlin Kaminsky had never been so happy to hear her real name, no matter that she’d spent the last eight hours and had taken a taxi, train, and plane to do so. All to get to a place she swore she’d never come back to after a Spring Break visit almost a decade ago.
It was hard to tell whether the New Orleans’ Bayou air or her best friend’s cloud of Kate Spade Live Colorfully perfume embraced her first, but once Sonja’s arms crushed her against the familiar curvaceous figure of her college bestie, it didn’t matter. Poppy meant to give the bride-to-be a reassuring, ‘glad to see you’ hug, but instead ended up holding on for dear life. Tears shoved past her carefully made-up eyes, threatening to drip off her lash extensions. They were the only part of her previous life that she’d kept.
Sonja pulled back and stared. “Let me get a good look at you. What the hell did you do to your hair?”
Sonja’s expression reflected the shock Poppy had also experienced at her first glance of her new ‘do. Gone was her, or rather, Amber’s, signature sleek brunette bob. Her wild waves were back, as was her honey blonde ombre, albeit with a little more brass. She self-consciously reached for her bleached locks. “It’s part of my get-away disguise.” As was the huge pair of sunglasses she’d worn from New York City to Louisiana, which had worked since she’d garnered minimal attention on her flight. An unusual event for Poppy since being publicly dumped and Twitter-shamed by her ex-boyfriend. ‘Ex’ as in ‘I want to draw an ‘X’ across his face every time I see it.’ “It’s my real color, so at least the roots will grow out with no issue.”
Aw, boo.” Sonja lifted the shades from Poppy’s nose as she uttered the Cajun endearment and Poppy wanted to weep with the relief of having the one person who really knew her—who got who she was, who she’d been, how far she’d come—look into her eyes and smile with no judgment. “That rat-ass did a number on you, didn’t he?”
Poppy shrugged. “Screw him. That’s history, baby. Two months and twelve hundred miles away. I’m here, and you’re getting married!” They both squealed and hugged, hopping around as if they were still college roommates with big dreams in front of them. Intact dreams that weren’t shattered in skin-piercing shards about their feet, as were Poppy’s.
I can’t wait for you to meet Henry.” Sonja gushed as she opened the hatch of her BMW SUV and reached for Poppy’s tote. “And he can’t wait to meet you.” Poppy put her sunglasses back on and took in the upgraded Sonja. Gone was the straightened shoulder-length hair of their college days, replaced with a sexy soft afro. Lustrous pearl drop earrings set off Sonja’s mocha skin. No more flip flops but designer wedge sandals. Sandals that matched her thousand-dollar bag.
What?” Sonja didn’t miss a beat. “Oh, these old things?” She posed like the magazine model she resembled but after a split second bent over in laughter, her smile flashing as honest and warm as it had ever been. “Poppy, you look like you can’t believe it. A nice paycheck and fancy clothes aren’t exclusive to New York City.”
Did I ever say they were?”
You don’t have to. Hell, I’ve been trying to get you here for years and I had to go and get knocked up and married before you showed.”
Poppy’s stomach flipped. “You’re pregnant?”
Surprise!” Sonja threw her arms up in a big ‘V’, joy radiating from every inch of her curvy frame. Which was about to grow rounder. “But it’s going to have to be our secret. It’s super early, but I have all the signs and symptoms. I’m waiting until our wedding night to tell Henry. That man is always surprising me, spoiling me, and I want to be able to do it for him, just once.” Sonja’s eyes sparkled the way Poppy had once dreamed hers would. Once she was married and having Will’s babies.
How exciting!” Her response sounded so lame even to her own ears. It wasn’t Sonja’s fault that Poppy had planned to be pregnant with her own baby by now, after having her own spectacular wedding on Will’s yacht as it cruised Long Island Sound. She decided on the spot to save her pity-party for later. This weekend her wounds had to remain in her room, away from Sonja and the gazillions of Louisianan’s she was about to meet. She hadn’t packed mini-bottles of Maker’s Mark and a two-pound bag of Hershey’s kisses for nothing. Although as the heat was already weighing in on her, she’d be lucky if the chocolate drops weren’t all mush.
Brushing her ruminations aside, Poppy leaned forward and gave Sonja a solid kiss on the cheek, seriously happy for her friend. And for herself—it was a relief to close the door on her sad life for the next few days. “We have a lot of catching up to do. I know it’s your big weekend, and that we can’t do it all now, but I have to tell you I’m so thrilled to be here with you, and happy that you’ve found your soul mate.”
Sonja laughed and gave her another quick hug before she hustled them both into the car and drove away from the New Orleans airport.

Geri Krotow is the award winning author of more than thirteen contemporary and romantic suspense novels (with a couple of WWII subplots thrown in!). While still unpublished Geri received the Daphne du Maurier Award for Romantic Suspense in Category Romance Fiction. Her 2007 Harlequin Everlasting debut A Rendezvous to Remember earned several awards, including the Yellow Rose of Texas Award for Excellence.
Prior to writing, Geri served for nine years as a Naval Intelligence Officer. Geri served as the Aviation/Anti-Submarine Warfare Intelligence officer for a P-3C squadron during which time she deployed to South America, Europe, and Greenland. She was the first female Intel officer on the East Coast to earn Naval Aviation Observer Wings. Geri also did a tour in the war on drugs, working with several different government and law enforcement agencies. Geri is grateful to be settled in south central Pennsylvania with her husband.




Follow the tour HERE for exclusive excerpts, guest posts and a giveaway!








Pre-order and Cover Reveal of THE SECRETS THAT SHAPE US by W.L. Brooks

Unveiling a new cover!
Book 2 of The McKay Series by W.L. Brooks!
The Secrets That Shape Us
THE SECRETS THAT SHAPE US
W.L. Brooks
Series: The McKay Series Book 2
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Publication Date: October 22, 2018
Returning home was just the beginning, but staying…might be her end.
After uncovering a devastating secret, Casey McKay left her beloved home town and pretended not to look back. For years, the truth her sisters hid from her has kept her away. Now, in desperate need of Casey’s help, her sisters have hired a PI to find her.
As a private investigator, Ryan Keller is used to getting into sticky situations, but nothing could have prepared him for the likes of Ms. McKay. Unable to resist her appeal for help, Ryan returns with her to Blue Creek. Little do they know they are walking right into a deadly plot to destroy the McKay sisters.
The closer they get to the truth, the harder it is for them to resist temptation. But succumbing to their desires puts Ryan in the crosshairs of a vengeful foe. To save them, Casey must face her past and the secrets that have shaped her.

Pre-Order Links

Releasing October 22. Pre-order your copy today!
Available on The Wild Rose Press: Paperback | Digital

Upcoming Book Tour

Save the Date! Follow the book tour from October 22 - November 3, 2018.
Visit each tour stop daily and discover more features, excerpts, reviews, interviews, fun facts and more! To check the latest tour schedule, visit the The Secrets That Shape Us Book Page at Book Unleashed.
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About W.L. Brooks

W.L. Brooks
W. L. Brooks likes to write like she reads with a bit of mystery, romance, suspense, and, to keep it interesting, the occasional dash of the paranormal. Living in Western North Carolina she is currently working on her next novel.
Official website: http://www.wlbrooks.com/
Social Media Links: Facebook | Instagram

Giveaway

WIN $50 AMAZON GIFT CARD
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Contest runs from September 28, 2018 - November 3, 2018.

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Release Package: Kase of Deception by Riann C. Miller

Title: Kase of Deception
Author: Riann C. Miller
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: September 27, 2018 Photographer: CW3 Designs & Photographer Model: Eric Jacob Cover Design: Jersey Girl & Co.
I had everything I needed, except freedom from my past—a past that suddenly feels like a ruse, ready to ruin everything I’ve worked for.
No matter the consequences, I’m determined to remove the chains binding me to my biggest regret.
I heard the warnings; I just didn’t give a damn, because casualties of war are to be expected.
But I never counted on meeting her.
One look, one taste, one night, and I discovered my mission is about to destroy my future.
Be careful what you wish for…
Excerpt - Copyright © 2018 Riann C. Miller
I’m a down to earth person until you make me mad, then it’s no hold barred. Especially when livelihoods are on the line. I have a meticulous plan in place, which means I shouldn’t be here, especially with her, but my conscience got the best of me.
I should walk away…
I should leave her the hell alone…
But I’ve never been known for following rules, and this woman—she’s hard to ignore and impossible to forget.
“Oh God, I’m sorry. I promise your secret is safe with me.”
I tilt my head, intrigued at the way her face flushed with color. “Oh, do tell. What secret are you keeping for me?”
She glances around, ensuring no one is listening before she leans halfway across the table, cupping her hands around her mouth. “That you’re a member of a sex club.”
A vision of her cuffed to my bed pops in my head from hearing her innocently whisper the word ‘sex,’ like it’s forbidden.
I learned years ago to avoid women, at least outside of the bedroom. Sex is something no man wants to go without, but a relationship is a whole other story. And this woman, with her big innocent blue eyes, screams relationship material. Nonetheless, she’s captivated my attention.
“It’s nice to know I can trust you, but those who know me best wouldn’t be surprised by my membership to Stella.”
Her forehead puckers. “Then… Why did you bring me here?”
“Straight to the point. I like that quality in a person.” I purposely brush the edge of my hand against hers, itching to touch her in any way possible.
I never counted on meeting her but I was left with the urge to know she was okay, so I did what any normal person in my shoes would do and I watched her from afar, ensuring she was okay, reminding myself I’m not a total bastard. In addition to being beautiful, I discovered she fucking smiles at everyone. If Mary Poppins and Kate Upton had a baby, she would be it.
“You left the other night before I had the chance to talk to you.”
           She pulls her hand off the table, her eyes darkening as she brushes her fingers through her long blonde hair. “You mean, you were disappointed when I didn’t wait on you to finish fucking another woman before you gave me the time of day?”
I hold back a smirk. “You’re jealous.” What an interesting turn of events.
Running into her at Stella—which was unplanned—she projected the perfect mix of sweet and sultry. Until then, I wasn’t entertaining the idea of talking to her, let alone fucking her. Now it’s all I can think of.
“N-nnno, I am not,” she sputters.
“Then it’s pointless to mention I returned to the main room only minutes later, with hopes of talking to you.”
Her nose turns up. “My ex couldn’t last long, but—”
Oh, for fuck’s sake. “A friend of mine runs the club. He was out of town and asked me to stop in and check on things. The woman you saw was asking for assistance with an irritable member who was causing a problem.”
Her mouth forms a perfect O while she nods.
“I don’t necessarily believe in fate, Ms. Charles, but the fact that we were leaving Thornton at precisely the same time is a consequence I find hard to ignore.” Like Saturday night, seeing her today wasn’t planned.
She nervously taps her fingernails in a rhythm on the table, watching me but not saying a word.
“I think we would have ended up leaving Stella together, if given the chance, and that’s exactly what I want.” What I need.
“That’s a very presumptuous statement.”
“I like to think of myself as confident, not arrogant.”
“I’m not sure you know the difference.”
Her feisty behavior makes me eager to hear her moaning my name.
“Tell me, without lying, that I’m wrong, that you didn’t imagine the two of us fucking like animals, and I’ll get up and leave. You’ll never hear from me again.”
Her eyes widen while she crosses and uncrosses her legs, but what she doesn’t do is tell me to get lost.
“I want to feast on every inch of your delicious body.”
She noticeably swallows. Her eyes dance around the restaurant then back to mine.
“You can lie and tell me you don’t want this but you’re only depriving yourself of a night we both desperately want.” I reach across the table, cupping my hand over hers. “One night. Allow yourself one night where someone else does all the thinking for you.”
I love the high I get from being with a woman, the way I can lose myself in the pure physical act two people share, but I’m only fooling myself if I believe one night will be enough. But for now, it’ll have to do.
“I thought one-night stands happened after you’ve had too much to drink, not something people premeditate during the middle of the day at a taco shop?”
I stifle a laugh. “Sex can mean many things to different people, but when both parties are clear and upfront, the possibilities can be endless.” I arch a brow. “The beauty of making a decision is it’s yours to own.”
Her big doe eyes fix on mine. I can see the questions dancing through her mind and I’m a lucky bastard she hasn’t already run out of here like the place is on fire.
“What are the rules? Would we meet somewhere? Because meeting at my place isn’t ideal.” I make a mental note to figure out why she wouldn’t want to take me to her place but for now, I bask in fact that she’s considering my offer.
“I’ll send a car for you at five when you get off work.” I jump to my feet, ready to get hell out of here before she changes her mind, not that she’s exactly agreed. “A black Lincoln will be out front. My driver’s name is Tim, and he’ll be watching for you. Oh, and Delanie…” I place my hand under her chin, tilting her head back. “Plan on staying the night.” I brush my thumb over her bottom lip.
Tonight can’t get here fast enough.
“I have to go but I promised you lunch. I’ll order something on my way out.”
She waves my comment off. “Oh, no you don’t have to do that.” She looks at the time on her phone. “You really have to go right now? Maybe we should talk more about this.”
And that’s exactly why I need to leave.
“I’ll see you in a few hours.”
I could be making the biggest mistake of my life, but if I’ve learned anything, it’s that karma’s a bitch because something tells me, one way or the other… This woman was meant to be in my life.
Riann (pronounced Ry-an) lives in Kansas with her husband and two teenaged children. When she’s not reading, or writing, she usually enjoying a Royals game.
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