Snowflake Bay by Donna Kauffman

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SNOWFLAKE BAY

SNOWFLAKE BAY

The Brides of Blueberry Cove #2

Donna Kauffman

Released Sept 29th, 2015

Kensington: Zebra

There’s no place like seaside Blueberry Cove, Maine, at Christmas—and there’s nothing like a wedding, the warmth of the holidays, and an old crush, to create the perfect new start…

Interior designer Fiona McCrae has left fast-paced Manhattan to move back home to peaceful Blueberry Cove. But she’s barely arrived before she’s hooked into planning her big sister Hannah’s Christmas wedding—in less than seven weeks. The last thing she needs is for her first love, Ben Campbell, to return to neighboring Snowflake Bay…

As kids, Fiona was the bratty little sister Ben mercilessly teased—while pining after Hannah. But Fi never once thought of Ben like a brother. And that hasn’t changed. Except Fi is all grown up. Will Ben notice her now? More importantly, with her life in a jumble, should he? Or might the romance of the occasion, the spirit of the season, and the gifts of time ignite a long-held flame for many Christmases to come…

Something old might just become something new…

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Feeling somewhat better about herself now, she disentangled herself from the satchel strap, then began mentally rehearsing a summer-weddings-areso- beautiful speech while she looked around for something to scrape the wool scarf out of her mouth. Deciding to get herself unwrapped first, she fished out the end of the scarf, already feeling her fair skin chapping even as she stood there, the warmth of the kitchen creating something of a sting in her thawing cheeks. The struggle with the scarf started almost immediately. It was as if her curls had begun actively weaving themselves into the knitting, becoming one with every loop and knot.

So, she was more wrestling with the scarf than unwrapping it, really, swearing somewhat creatively, possibly a wee bit passionately even, by the time a deep male voice that was quite decidedly not her big brother’s baritone spoke from far too close behind her.

“I’ve got bolt cutters in my truck. We could just cut you out.”

Fiona froze. Stock-still. And not because of anything having to do with the coastal winter weather or being out of shape. She wasn’t breathing hard. In fact, she might never draw breath again. It had been, what, ten years? Longer. She’d lost track.Or, more truthfully, you’ve blocked it from your memory banks. Blocked it back when the owner of that voice had left Blueberry Cove for college in Boston, excited to get started on fulfilling his dreams—none of which included coming back to his hometown. At the time, blocking her memory files had seemed the only way she’d ever survive not having him in her daily orbit ever again.

She felt his big, broad palms cup her shoulders, turning her slowly around to face him, and stupidly squeezed her eyes shut, as if that would change this sudden new reality. All it did was delay the inevitable.

“Fireplug?” he said, as the top half of her face became visible when he pushed the curls from her forehead and the scarf from where it was now haphazardly draped diagonally across her face. There was sincere surprise in his voice. “Is that you inside all that sheep’s clothing?”

Fireplug. All of the air came back into her lungs in one big, sucking gasp. Emphasis on the sucking. Her cheeks burned again, only the sting of remembered humiliation coupled with the memories of her pathetic, unrequited crush on her brother’s best friend, who’d only had eyes for Hannah, far—far—outstripped anything a Maine winter could do to her fair skin.

They were both many years older now, she reminded herself, and that meant wiser as well. Although she didn’t feel wiser at the moment. At the moment, she felt instantly thirteen again, pining after a guy who’d barely noticed her, and when he had, had seen her as nothing more than the nuisance kid sister of the girl he was trying to impress.

Of course, that girl was now engaged to another man, and for all Fiona knew, her childhood crush was married himself, with a bundle of kids stashed somewhere. Hell, for all he knew, so was she. Which meant, yeah … the distant past was just that. Distant. And past.

She prided herself on taking an extra moment to steady herself and let her breath ease out, then slowly back in again, before opening her eyes. Okay, so she was still half-tangled in a woolen neck scarf and she wasn’t exactly making eye contact with him, but it was a start. A mature, grown-up start. Between two, mature, grown-up people.

So why is your heart racing like it’s the first time a man has ever touched you? More to the point, why are all your other more mature body parts clamoring for him to touch a whole lot more than your shoulders? You’re both potentially married with kids, remember?

Only she wasn’t married. Didn’t have kids. Not even the dimmest of prospects of either on the horizon. A horizon that, at the moment, was completely consumed with a big, tall, rugged reminder of all that she didn’t have. Had never had. A reminder, it should be noted, who still had his hands on her.

All her line of vision allowed, however—now that he’d turned her around so her back was to him, tipping her head forward to allow him to work her hair free from the scarf—was the Michelin Man-style, double-padded red snow coat she’d buttoned around her short, curvy frame, under which was a layer of thick hoodie, a long-sleeved turtleneck, and a T-shirt. She surprised herself by letting out a muffled snort. “Well, if the nickname still fits,” she murmured, proud of herself for embracing the humor in the moment, only to discover a split second later she was blinking back stupid tears.

Maybe no matter how much a person grew up, no matter how much she matured, she thought, mortified all over again, there would always be a part of her who was still that same, invisible thirteen-year-old girl.

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USA Today bestselling author of the Cupcake Club Romance series, Donna Kauffman has seen her books reviewed in venues ranging from Kirkus Reviews and Library Journal to Entertainment Weekly and Cosmopolitan. She lives just outside of DC in the lovely Virginia countryside, where she is presently trying to makeover her newly empty nest into something that doesn’t have to accommodate piles of sports equipment falling out of her coat closet (okay, out of every closet...and under every bed....), size 13 cleats and sweaty uniforms cluttering her foyer (and stairwell, and laundry room, and...), and a kitchen that should have come with a traffic light. And a pantry monitor. (Anyone with a clever idea on how to repurpose lacrosse sticks into matching reading lamps, she’s all ears!) When she’s not stripping paint, varnishing an old auction house find, or trying to avoid bodily injury with her latest power tool purchase, she loves to hear from readers!

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Island Experience by Simone Freier

Beyond 50 Shades … Way Beyond!

ISLAND EXPERIENCE is an intimate exploration of kinks and fetishes by an unlikely couple, with thoughtful and philosophical discussion by the characters, and graphic descriptions of their erotic adventures.

Title: Island Experience

Author: Simone Freier

Genre: Erotic Romance

Sam takes Kelly and her friends on a trip to a tropical island, where they not only work on their suntan, but also get tanned a few times as part of their spanking play. The friends are even more adventurous and engage in some wild times together in the beautiful island environment. Sam takes them to some places that aren’t on the usual tourist route, continuing to challenge them – and they return the ‘favor’, providing challenges for Sam, as well. The group is loving and loved, as they are now comfortable with each other in ways that most people have never experienced. What will be next for Sam, Kelly and her friends?

The Experiences series is an epic love story of erotic relationships and sexual desires. Written in a 'literary realism' style, the series introduces Sam in the prequel, and the blossoming of his intimate relationship with Kelly as the series progresses. Fantasies and real-world adventures coalesce to mold a unique bond between unlikely lovers. Where needs are mutually satisfied in an open, creative and trusting environment. Where physical and mental boundaries are pushed. Where the concepts of love and sex are never confused, but sometimes confusing. Where openness is required and intimacy is expected. And where fair-is-fair, regarding the punishment of transgressions.

Contemporary erotic romance: Suitable for mature readers, aged 18+ years.

Experiences: Book 7 is 139,000 words, 21 chapters, 466 print pages

~ What Others Are Saying ~

Acclaim for Simone Freier and the Experiences Series

“ Fun, intense, sexually erotic”

“ One of my favorite series in recent memory”

“ Simone Freier is a sexually charged and inspired writer”

“One of my favorite series in recent memory”

“Simone Freier is a sexually charged and inspired writer”

“ It is quite a tale and a very good read that explores an intimate topic”

“The reader’s senses are thoroughly engaged”

“ The writing is well-done, engaging, and erotic”

“ The characters are rich & believable, while the eroticism is thick & lush”

“ Freier writes some incredibly powerful scenes”

“ I have enjoyed this whole series and don’t want it to end”

“ Freier holds poignant insight into the complexities of interpersonal communications and behavior”

“ The desire crawls out of the pages and into my mind”

“ The writing style is relaxed, even playful, and always fresh”

“ Steams up the pages - very sensual and erotic”

“ Simone Freier entertains her readers with a story of love, trust, respect and exploration”

“ Unexpectedly thoughtful and intensely passionate”

“ Simone Freier has an intoxicating way with words”

“Definitely a five-star series!”

WARNING!

This work contains mature content, including graphic sexual descriptions and scenes, and is provided for adults only. The Experiences series contains scenes of psychological and physical submission, discipline, and medical fetish. The characters explore various fetishes, which evolve throughout the series. ALL CHARACTERS IN THE BOOK ARE 21 YEARS OLD OR OLDER, and all activities are consensual.

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I tiptoed to the other side of Julie’s bed, and quietly climbed in, under the covers.  I did not touch Julie or lie next to her I just lay on my side, watching her.  Notwithstanding a woman never wanting a man to see her in the morning before she cleans up, Julie looked very cute; I would say she was pretty, but not quite ‘beautiful’.

But, with her vivacious personality, openness, and assertiveness, she really was a turned-on person.  I didn’t know if she craved sex, but it was obvious that she enjoyed it.  She seemed to like me, and she obviously liked – or loved – Kelly.

Julie was flirtatious with me, and accepting of all the challenges I threw at her; but she was seriously infatuated with Kelly – I could see it in her eyes last night, during our ‘Spin the Bottle’ game.  Perhaps Kelly should have been the one to come in and give Julie some nooky?

Julie’s eyes popped open, focusing on me, and she smiled.  I brought my head to hers, and kissed her lightly on the lips, “Happy birthday, Julie.”

Now Julie slid over to me, sideways, facing me, and put her hand behind my head, grabbing my hair, and pulling me toward her.  We kissed – passionately, this time – and I let my arm drop casually over her waist.  Julie had slept in the nude and, of course, I was still nude. 

I smiled at Julie, “You’re beautiful.  I was watching you sleep.  I came over to give you a little ‘birthday nooky’.”  Julie smiled, her face seeming slightly flushed … but it was still too dark in the room to really tell.  Then, I had to offer, "But I just realized that you might have preferred Kelly to come into your bed.  I can go get her, if you want …”

I had said it in a joking way, and certainly hoped that I wasn’t kicked out and Kelly invited in.  But I would have been happy for Kelly, and I knew that Julie and I would have more experiences together.

Julie shook her head, “No, silly!  I’m glad you’re here.  And I’m looking forward to that nooky.”  We kissed again, less passionately, somewhere in between the kiss of a lover, and the kiss of a close friend.  With Julie, I think for both of us, it was ‘having sex’, not ‘making love’.

Smiling at Julie’s smiling face, I whispered, “I spoke with Linda.  She will leave, if you want; but she also said that she could masturbate, while we were making it.  I’m OK with whatever you decide.”

Julie shrugged, then turned her head to face Linda, “Good morning, Linda.  I’m going to take Sam up on his offer of a little morning sex.  But it’s OK with us, if you want to stay in bed.”

I heard Linda say, quietly, “Thanks, Julie.”  I heard some sheets rustling, and Julie turned back to me.  Then, taking me in her hand, she held me, and moved her thumb in a circular motion over my frenum.

“So what is your preferred position, this morning, m’lady?”  I gave Julie a peck on the lips.

She shrugged, “Anything with you in control, but I want to be facing you.”

That was a good offer; although ‘over the corner of the bed’ was one of my favorite positions.  I got under the covers, and between Julie’s legs, as I went down on her.  I swirled my tongue under her hood, and around her clit, and then used my fingers to lightly massage her clit in a circular motion. 

Julie’s hands came under the sheet, and pulled me up to her.  Her knees came up, as I moved up her body, first kissing her breasts, and then her mouth.  I tried to rub myself on her, and was happily surprised that – despite her lack of pubic hair – her ‘stubble’ was stimulating.  And Julie’s stroking had achieved its goal.

I entered Julie, the feeling glorious.  Julie squeezed her pelvic muscles as I thrust into her, and we kissed deeply.  Then, I lifted my head, and smiled at Julie.  She knew that I was asking something, and gave me a curious look, then a very subtle nod of her head.

Sliding out of Julie, I flipped back the covers and sheets, and crawled backwards to the foot of the bed, pulling her by the ankles, as I slid off the bed.  Then, I pulled until her butt was just beyond the spread, and I lifted her legs, resting them on my shoulders. 

Julie smiled, as I reentered her, grasping her hips, and pulling her even further toward me, until my front was slapping against her bottom and thighs on every thrust.  I leaned forward, and Julie crossed her ankles behind my neck.  I took a big thrust into her, and leaned forward until the crook of Julie’s knees were over my shoulder. 

Julie reached up and held my shoulders, as she pulled herself up, and I put my hands around her, bringing our heads together, as I began to thrust again.  Julie pushed my shoulders, as she lay back down, turned her head toward the wall, and closed her eyes. 

I realized that she could thrust much better this way, and she was now gyrating wildly, a desperate, pained look on her face.  Or, maybe that was ecstasy?  My mind was receding as I approached my own orgasm and, somehow, Julie and I came together, both of us grunting and moaning, panting, and gasping, as our bodies spasmed together.

It was on my third or fourth final orgasmic thrust in to Julie that my eyes fluttered open, and I saw Linda smiling at me.  She was still in the next bed, the covers pulled up to her neck, but her hands reaching under them.  She closed her eyes, and reached her own climax a minute later, as I bent down to kiss Julie.

I whispered, “Happy birthday, Julie.

An adventuress and traveler, Simone is a sensual being who loves to read stories that excite her. She takes exception to authors who promote their works as ‘dirty’, ‘filthy’, or ‘smutty’: She believes that sex is wonderful in all of its incarnations, and doesn’t shy away from graphic descriptions of realistic sexual experiences, no matter how messy. Her writing is mainly in the ‘literary realism’ style – i.e., it is wild (even outrageous) … but could really happen to you! She values openness in relationships, and demonstrates this through her characters.

Prior to becoming an author, Simone was a nurse. One of her pet peeves is reading erotica that gets simple anatomy wrong! She is continually bewildered by women who haven’t explored their own bodies. Another pet peeve is the mostly hung-up Victorian society prevalent in the U.S. and U.K., and she tries to do her part to change that by introducing people to new sexual and sensual experiences through her erotic writing. The activities in Simone’s books are quite realistic, as she has participated in most of these in ‘real life’, as surreal as it may seem.

Simone is currently completing the Experiences series, which will run an estimated 1,000,000 words! That is why she refers to it as an ‘epic’ romance, although each volume is intended to stand on its own, with a ‘happy for now’ ending. Experiences combines literary style and philosophical discussion by the characters with graphic portrayal of sex in all of its kinks and fetishes. You may not like all of the things Simone’s characters do … but neither do they. Their exploration of new experiences will hopefully motivate some readers to explore their own sexuality to a greater extent.

Simone loves to hear from her readers, so feel free to contact her. In fact, she hopes you will feel ‘free’ sexually and spiritually, as well. Please follow her on social media and her blog. On her website, you may interact directly with the main characters in her books, including asking them questions in order to understand their perspectives in more depth.

You can sign up to her mailing list to learn about new releases, and take advantage of promotions. All readers on the mailing list will be sent an excerpt from each of her next novels, prior to publication.

Author Links:

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Relapse In Paradise by Roxanne Smith

Title: Relapse in Paradise
Author: Roxanne Smith
Genre: Contemporary Romance

She likes Hawaii, but she just might love Boston…

Still stinging from her recent divorce, Emily Buzzly heads to majestic Hawaii to soothe her wounds. But once she arrives on Oahu, Emily discovers that a man she assumes is a beach bum is in fact her personal tour guide, hired by her sister. With his long hair and tattoos, Boston Rondibett is everything Emily detests—despite his sun-kissed surfer body. And with her straight-laced, executive persona, Emily is everything Boston rebels against. But both have a lot to learn about making snap judgments…

As it turns out, Boston’s real job, the one he truly cares about, is running his soup kitchen and homeless shelter. Embarrassed by her assumptions, rather than lazy beach days, Emily soon finds herself feeding the hungry, and even involved in the search for an AWOL soldier. And to Boston’s surprise, she’s loving every minute of it—and he’s loving seeing her loosen her chignon and be the admirable, beautiful woman she is. As each works through the challenges of the past, these two very different people just might find their hearts are on the very same page…

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Roxanne Smith, currently residing in Asheville, NC, is an avid reader of every genre, a cat lover, pit bull advocate, and semi-geek. She loves video games, Doctor Who, and her dashing husband. Her two kids are the light of her life. Find out more at www.roxannesmith.net, or visit her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/roxannesmith.author.

Dog Days: The Complete Saga (Dog Days # 1-4) by Sierra Dean

Dog Days: The Complete Saga (Dog Days # 1-4)

by Sierra Dean

Release Date: 07/07/15

Collecting all the Dog Days novels, this volume includes the complete, epic story of Cooper Reynolds: a boy cursed to become a coyote on his eighteenth birthday, and Lou Whittaker, the girl who can either save or ruin him.

Combined here for the first time, you get all four Dog Days novels:

Autumn, Winter, Spring, Summer

Autumn:

Cooper Reynolds's life is going to the dogs... literally.

As if being a high school senior in a small Texas town wasn't hard enough, Cooper has bigger things to worry about than who he'll take to prom and whether or not the Poisonfoot Padres will win homecoming. He has less than a year before his eighteenth birthday, when a curse placed on his family will doom him to live in coyote form forever.

The last thing he needs to complicate his already messed-up life is a girl, but fate has other plans in mind for him when it brings Eloise "Lou" Whittaker to Poisonfoot. She's grouchy, sarcastic and has no love for her new Texas home, but she might be exactly the right person to help Cooper break the curse.

The clock is ticking, and Cooper will have to decide if he's willing to let Lou in on his dirty little secret before it's too late.

***

Winter:

Eloise “Lou” Whittaker can’t shake the feeling she’s forgetting something.

After surviving the explosion of the Poisonfoot Library, she struggles to find her footing again, and she’s grateful Archer Wyatt is there to make sure she’s all right. But Archer seems to be around an awful lot and Lou has trouble controlling herself when she’s with him. She should be thrilled the most popular guy in school wants to be with her, but still, there’s that nagging feeling…

Cooper Reynolds knows he ought to let Lou go. He was putting her at risk by letting her in the first time, and now that she’s a blank slate he should just let her go on blissfully unaware of his curse. But she’s given him a taste of something dangerous… hope.

Can Cooper and an unlikely ally help Lou break free from the spell she’s under?

And can they do it before a new force threatens to destroy the whole town?

***

Spring:

Just when Cooper Reynolds and Lou Whittaker think they’ve weathered the worst of their trials, they come face to face with the most dangerous, clever villain they’ve ever experienced. One Wyatt brother was bad enough, but now that Archer has called on his brother Christopher for help keeping Lou and Cooper apart, the young couple is about to learn what real trouble looks like.

Christopher has come home determined to get Lou away from Cooper once and for all, and he isn’t afraid who he hurts or what bridges he burns to get the job done. With Cooper’s time running out and Lou struggling to control her growing powers, the last thing they need is more conflict. Too bad things are never as easy as they hope.

With a mysterious pair of FBI investigators in town and the clock ticking, Cooper and Lou need to learn to work together before they’re torn apart forever. 

***

Summer:

The thrilling conclusion to the Dog Days series!

Cooper Reynolds has been missing for months.

The whole town of Poisonfoot, Texas believes he has run away, proving they were right not to trust him. They believe he left like his brother and father before him: another good-for-nothing Reynolds man leaving the small town in his dust. No one is looking for him.

No one but Lou Whittaker.

Lou knows Cooper was taken, she just doesn’t know where he is or how to get him back. With the help of budding witch, Max, and an unlikely ally in her former enemy Archer Wyatt, Lou is determined to find Cooper and bring him back in one piece.

 But time is running out. Summer is upon them, and if they don’t find Cooper before his 18th birthday, they’ll be bringing home a wild animal instead of their beloved friend. 

***

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Forget her.

Cooper had repeated those two words to himself over and over in the weeks following the explosion. They’d become something of a personal mantra for him as he tried to come to terms with what had happened.

Forget her.

He’d waited after his run-in with Elle at the hospital, expecting Lou to call him or show up, to tell him everything would be normal again. But it had been two weeks, and nothing. He knew she was out of the hospital, because he’d heard Marnie Jackson talking about it nonstop.

But it seemed apparent that Lou really had forgotten him. And while he wanted nothing more than to go see her on his own, Elle’s warning haunted him. What if she wasn’t lying? What if he explained to Lou who he was and it hurt her?

Anyway, hadn’t he wanted it this way from the start? When he had first met Lou, he’d done everything he could to convince her not to bother with him. Hell, the whole damned town had tried to push them apart. And in a way, he’d gotten his wish. She had no clue who he was, and because of that she was free from all the inevitable pain he would cause her.

He should be happy. 

He should be thanking his lucky stars the pool of people he would devastate on his eighteenth birthday had one fewer person in it. This was a good thing. 

He should be grateful she’d be spared losing him.

But he was miserable.

The burden of being cursed was bad enough, but during his time with Lou, he’d been afflicted by something much, much worse. Hope. She’d made him think there was the possibility of a cure. Well, maybe not a cure, but a way to change his fate. She had seemed so certain they could fix things and help him retain his humanity.

And now he’d lost her, and with her went all that hope.

If he didn’t have Lou, he was definitely going to end up on four legs, covered in fur, and howling at the moon with his brother.

He pulled his truck into the lot behind Poisonfoot High School and sat there, staring at the football field. It was late October, and all the grass around town had started to turn an ugly, dry brown color, yet the football field remained an immaculate green.

Cooper wondered how much of the school budget each year was set aside for lawn care.

Grabbing his duffle bag from the truck bed, he made his way to the locker room to change for practice. They had a big game on Friday, and coach would be riding them harder than usual, so he’d arrived a half hour early for practice to run a few laps before the rest of the team showed up.

Running was one of the rare occasions he felt at peace. It was like his conscious mind slipped away, and with each footfall he took another step farther from his troubles.

They always caught up in the end, but for the time he was in motion, he was calm and almost happy. 

He was out on the field when he noticed another car in the lot, a pristine red sports car parked directly next to his rusty Ford pickup.

Archer.

There was no sign of the other boy outside, and Cooper hadn’t seen him in the locker room, yet it was unmistakably Archer’s car. And if there was anything that could ruin Cooper’s running calm, it was the presence of Archer Wyatt.

Though Cooper didn’t know what had happened at the library, he suspected Archer had a hand in it. They’d had a run-in less than an hour before the explosion, and Archer had told him point-blank to stay away from Lou or there would be consequences.

And now Lou didn’t recognize Cooper anymore.

He didn’t know if Archer was capable of mind control, but the parallels were a bit too weird to be mere coincidence. 

Grumbling to himself, Cooper set about running laps, figuring if and when Archer wanted to get in his face, the bastard would, and he wasn’t going to be able to stop it. He was on his third go around the field when Archer appeared—like out of nowhere—on the bleachers, sitting in the front row, watching Cooper run.

There was no way he could have walked there from the lockers or the parking lot without being seen.

Strange.

“What do you want, Wyatt?” Cooper jogged a bit closer so they weren’t shouting at each other, but kept a minimum safe distance between them. The urge to punch Archer in the face without provocation might prove overwhelming, and he certainly didn’t need to get expelled. His mom, as the sheriff, wanted him to graduate, curses be damned. And if that was the last thing he could do for her before spending the rest of his life as a coyote, well…he’d do it.

“What do you mean, what do I want?” Archer shot back, looking calm and relaxed in spite of the mostly faded remains of a large bruise on one of his cheeks. He had taken quite the blow in the explosion to leave a bruise for this long.

It was a shame he hadn’t broken any bones, especially the ones in his face. Or suffered some burns. Anything to make him as ugly on the outside as Cooper knew him to be on the inside.

“It’s a practice day,” Archer continued. “I’m the quarterback. So…I’m here to practice.”

“Right now you seem to be practicing staring at me like a creep.”

“Maybe I’m just observing your form to make sure you don’t get hurt. The Padres need their star running back, you know.”

Cooper snorted. He wasn’t the team’s star anything. Yes, he was the best running back they had. And sure, during a game it was the only time anyone in town gave two craps what he did or even that he was alive. But no one was making Go Big #40 signs, or cheering his name. They cared about the points he brought in, and once he stepped off the field, no one congratulated him or patted him on the back with a chorus of good game.

The ninety minutes he spent on field in a game were the only time he existed, as far as anyone in the school was concerned. 

Archer could walk into any store or restaurant and get high-fived or have someone vigorously shake his hand. Cooper had once witnessed Archer getting booze for free at the local convenience store. Archer was a goddamn conquering hero to these people.

He was perfect.

A perfect asshole, in Cooper’s opinion.

But more importantly, there was something sinister and unnatural about the blond boy that set Cooper’s internal alarm bells ringing. And it was a veritable five-alarm fire going off in his head right then.

“How’s Lou?” Cooper asked, his tone conveying a kind of accusation he couldn’t verbalize any other way.

“She’s fine.”

So, suddenly Archer wasn’t interested in talking about Lou anymore? It seemed to be all he’d cared to discuss two weeks earlier.

“I’m guessing she hasn’t asked about me much.”

“She wondered who you were, and I told her.”

Cooper grunted. Sure, Archer would have told her what everyone had told her the first time around. He’s bad news. Stay away from him. Only this time the warning had apparently worked.

He wondered briefly how it would go tomorrow, when they were partnered up together in Mr. Price’s lab. Wouldn’t she find it strange that she had no memories of him when they’d supposedly spent every morning for almost two months working side by side? How would she explain that to herself? How would Archer and Elle convince her it was normal not to know a single thing about her lab partner?

You can still get her back.

Maybe it was crazy, fighting for a way to hang on, but Cooper wasn’t quite ready to give Lou up just yet.  He remembered the way she’d looked at him outside the library, her expression vacant, like he meant nothing to her, and though it pained him, he knew the real Lou was still in there somewhere. She had to be.

He loved her. Loved everything about her. Lou had made him crazy enough he’d actually been able to forget his problems for a moment or two. In an instant it had all been wiped from the earth. The kisses they’d shared? Gone. The secrets she knew? Vanished. There was no way all that could have disappeared completely, was there? 

If a tree fell in the woods and no one was there to hear it, did it make a sound? Who cared? But if a boy kissed a girl he loved and she forgot who he was, did the kiss ever happen? How could a memory be real if only half the people involved could recall it?

“What do you want from me, huh?” Now Cooper was downright surly. He had no interest in playing games with Archer. “You want me to say you won? Want me to pat you on the back and say she’s all yours and give you my blessing or something?”

“I want you to say you’ll back off,” Archer said, finally dropping the innocent act. “She’s better off this way.”

“Who are you to decide how Lou is better off? You don’t know a thing about what we had.”

“What you had is over.”

“Because of you.” Cooper wanted very badly to clear the distance between them and beat Archer to a bloody pulp. He wanted to punch and kick and…bite. He wanted to rip the other boy apart.

And that urge kept him planted where he was.

More and more often of late, the whims and wants of the coyote had begun to come through. The animal he would become was starting to eclipse the human he was, and when his eighteenth birthday came around, he wondered if there’d be any of the boy left inside the animal.

Would he know who he’d been?

His brother, Jeremy, had changed already, and though he seemed to know who Cooper was, the animal Jeremy had become was not human in the slightest. 

Would Cooper remember Lou? Would any of this matter by the time next August rolled around?

“You need to get over this,” Archer said, bringing Cooper’s attention away from his revenge fantasies.

“You could have killed her. What the hell were you thinking?” If he was going to go for broke, he might as well see if Archer would admit to something.

“You have no idea what happened that day.” Archer’s face had gone pale, no easy feat given how tan he was. He got to his feet and seemed to consider coming towards Cooper, but when Cooper took a step back, Archer stayed put. “You’ll never understand. You can’t. But leave Lou alone.”

The same warning Cooper had gotten from Elle. “Or what?”

“Don’t test me, Reynolds.”

Cooper tried to think of a threatening reply, but instead he stood in silence and watched Archer cross the field as the rest of the team began to pull into the lot.

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Sierra Dean is a reformed historian. She was born and raised in the Canadian prairies and is allowed annual exit visas in order to continue her quest of steadily conquering the world one city at a time. Making the best of the cold Canadian winters, Sierra indulges in her less global interests: drinking too much tea and writing urban fantasy.

Ever since she was a young girl she has loved the idea of the supernatural coexisting with the mundane. As an adult, however, the idea evolved from the notion of fairies in flower beds, to imagining that the rugged-looking guy at the garage might secretly be a werewolf. She has used her overactive imagination to create her own version of the world, where vampire, werewolves, fairies, gods and monsters all walk among us, and she’ll continue to travel as much as possible until she finds it for real.

She’s also a book lover (of course!), obsessive collector of OPI nailpolish and the owner of way too many pairs of shoes.

Author Links:

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She Will Be Loved by Theresa Troutman

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Three very different girls searching for love.

Everyone deserves a happy ending, that’s what Penny Stanton thought. Only her ending was anything but happy after her husband died. Her friends had been an amazing support system over the year following Maxwell’s death, but there was a hole in Penny’s heart she felt would never heal. Can an old flame reignite her passion and make her take a second chance on love?

Mattie Irons was rambunctious, charming, and smart. She was the apple of her parents’ eyes until her baby brother was born. Her parents, especially her mother, spent more time cooing over the infant than paying attention to Mattie. Now Mattie is feeling unloved, leaving Sebastian and Tess searching for a way to abate their daughter’s fears.

Kate Hamilton has made the move to England to be with her daughter and son-in-law. Her new upper-crust English lifestyle is a long way from middle class suburbia in America. She volunteers at the local children’s hospital and helps Tess raise the children. Yet Sutton castle is a large building and it, along with its butler, are very intimidating. Can she adapt to this new life as her daughter did and find love again?

ADD TO GOODREADS

Join the party!

She Will Be Loved release party on Tuesday, Oct. 27th.

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In this series:

Life's What You Make It

Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Kobo | Smashwords

Love This Life

Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Kobo | Paperback

  

London Loves

Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Kobo | Paperback

By My Side (Free with Kindle Unlimited)

Amazon US / UK / Paperback

My Secret Summer

Amazon US / UK

B&N | iTunes | Google Play | Kobo

A Special Connection

Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Kobo

Theresa Troutman also writes erotic taboo tales as T.S. Irons

(her naughty personality)

Stepdaddy Dom

Amazon | B&N | Smashwords

Sibling Rivalry

Amazon | B&N | Smashwords

My Wicked Stepsister

Amazon | B&N | Smashwords

Theresa Troutman lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and their crazy dog, Niko. She loves reading, theatre and traveling. Her books include: My Secret Summer, A Special Connection and the Love's Great Adventure Series: Life's What You Make It and Love This Life and London Loves. Her most recent release is a contemporary second-chance erotic romance called, By My Side.

Feel free to contact her on her:

Facebook | Website |  Google+ | Twitter (@theresatroutman)

https://www.facebook.com/TurnedOnByWords?ref=bookmarks

http://wtmowordsturnmeon.blogspot.com/