A Soldier's Dawning by Lisa Survillas

Title: A Soldier's Dawning

Series: Happy Endings Resort #8

Author: Lisa Survillas

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: September 28, 2015

I am not just a Man. 

I am a Husband. A new father.

A Soldier.

I am Jason Reynolds.

For me, serving my country was supposed to make a better life for us all. Injured overseas, my only focus is healing for my family. When I’m given the news that my family will never be the same, I find myself drowning in pain. Talk about life being a cruel bitch. 

In search of a solitary life, I take up residence in a town far from my shattered life. The Happy Endings Resort seems to be the perfect place for me to nurse my wounds. Finding a job is easy, and Brandon’s garage is the perfect place to wallow in my misery. Somehow Brandon, seems to understand my need to work until I’m exhausted, and to keep to myself. He gives me the space I need to overcome my wounds . . . all of them. Little did I know he’d have a niece. 

Will these demons haunt me forever and drive me to hide from everyone and everything I’ve ever known? Will The Happy Endings Resort give me the solitude I need? Will the people here to be the cure I didn’t know I was longing for?

 

Inside it's like a blast to the past, and not my generation's past.  It's way into the past, a throwback to the 50s.  The booths are covered in red leather, with shiny white tabletops.  They stand out against the black and white checkerboard tiled floors.  Even the waitresses look like they're from the 50s, in light pink button-up dresses with white aprons.  As strange as it is, it's got a nice homey feel to it.  And it's packed, so the food must be pretty good. 

        After seating myself at the bar, I open the menu and see that it's similar to one at a soda shop.  I love a good burger, but my stomach does flips when I see the list of malts they offer.  I haven't had a good chocolate malt in ages. 

Ready for some good ol' American diner food, I wait patiently for the waitress to come my way.  When I hear her voice, I don't even bother looking up.  It doesn't matter who it is, I just need my food.  Gruffly, I place my order, "Burger, medium, with everything, fries, and a chocolate malt."

My attitude doesn't faze her.  She just replies, "I'll get it right out for you," and walks away.  I didn’t notice it the first time she spoke, but her voice has a song-like quality, just like Amelia’s; sweet, yet expressive.  I take a moment to swallow down the lump in my throat.  I can’t believe anything here reminds me of Amelia.  It shows me I made the right decision in not going home, since everything would remind me of her.

After a few minutes, she drops off a glass of water without a word.  Curious about the woman who would gladly ignore me in return, I look up as she walks away.  I can't see her face, but the sway of her hips and that tight ass make my cock take notice. 

I hear the easy rapport she has with the people around me.  Her laugh is contagious.  Every time I hear it I find myself smiling.  A genuine smile that I haven’t had in a long time.  When I turn around to see the people she’s talking to, you can see the joy on their faces as they engage with her. 

When my food arrives, I make a point to look up.  Although I know I'll never give myself the chance to love again, I'd be foolish to think that part of my body will get on board too.  What I don't expect is to look into her eyes and feel that electricity deep into my stomach. She is a vision, with big bright eyes that match her straw-colored hair.  She's on the shorter side, but in good shape.  I can't believe the pull she has on me. 

It's too much.  I throw a twenty down on the counter and practically run out of the diner without so much as a word.  I won't be able to go back in there.  She could be trouble for me and my life of solitude.  Her eyes were hypnotic. I'm pretty sure I could be drawn into them and never escape.

I throw the truck into drive as quickly as possible and get the hell out of there, making a mental note to steer clear of the diner when working.  I try to rationalize with myself that it was just hunger, but I know deep down it was more than that.  Fuck! I can't believe I let myself feel that.  It's only been a few weeks since I lost the love of my life, so there's no excuse for feeling like that now. 

Hi! I'm Lisa. I live in SUNNY SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA with my wonderful husband and two teenage children. With two kids in high school and involved in activities both inside and outside of school, I have a lot to juggle. When home, I lock myself inside the office to write. I've always loved to write, but life always seemed to be too busy. When inspiration finally hit, I made the most of the time hubby and kids were busy and published my first book in February 2014. I've published a total of 4 books in the past year and am hoping to bring you a few more before 2015 ends.

 

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Love, Lies, Deceit: Volumes 1 & 2 by Leslie Johnson and J Griffin

 

Janice Fisher’s childhood was what every little girl dreamed of—big house, lots of attention and rich parents who loved her. She’s a bit sheltered, maybe, but that’s okay. At least it’s okay until she starts college and ‘sheltered’ becomes overbearing and she’s forced into a career path they want.

Then she meets a boy... father approved... until said boy turns into someone she never expected. She’s worried and doesn’t know what to do.

Her classmate, Olympic swimming hopeful Deshawn Bell, tries to help her, even though her situation appears hopeless from every angle. He's kind and sexy as hell. Their attraction to each other is intense. But neither of them are prepared for the hidden danger their relationship presents.

Find out what happens to Janice and Deshawn in the new adult thriller from Leslie Johnson. Love, Lies and Deceit is the first book of a series.

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Janice thought she could handle her new assignment. Manipulating Tony's confession should have been easy. A little kiss here, a flirty squeeze there. The plan was perfect. She’d get her life back and Tony would pay for his crimes.

Now she’s alone. Vulnerable. Afraid. Listening to talk of her and her lover’s demise. She doesn’t seem so smart now. In fact, she can’t believe she was so stupid to fall for a love covered in deceit and lies.

Part two of this romantic suspense has the two lovers fighting for their lives… and each other.

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Leslie Johnson

Leslie is a California native but recently moved to Arizona after a stint in Arkansas. She enjoys travel and being with friends. She is an avid reader of many genres, but prefers romances with travel or thriller themes. She loves writing about strong women and strong men because the world needs both!

J Griffin

Coming out from behind his desk as a ghostwriter and plot creator, J Griffin is now writing books under his own name and in partnership with other authors. Sweet stories of love and loss. Betrayal. Seeing past prejudiced and limiting beliefs. A big dose of suspense is often called for. Most of all, stories for today. Not your grandmothers romance novels!

Leslie Johnson

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Getting Lucky by Maggie Adams

Release Blitz:

Getting Lucky

by

Maggie Adams

Sept 30th

Lawrence “Lucky” Coalson is on the track of the arsonist that torched his older brother’s construction company. The clues have led him to the Mississippi Flame Casino, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Taking a job as a bouncer there, he hopes to find a connection or even the arsonist. What he finds is a blonde bombshell in a bit of trouble, so like the alpha male he is, Lucky comes to the rescue.

But what happens in Vegas is about to follow him home – and no one is prepared for the consequences.

“You do have a certain charm, cowboy,” Claudia murmured as she leaned back in his arms.

He kissed her, quick and hard, on the lips. “I’m just clearing the way for a fun filled evening, baby.”

He started around the bar, but she grabbed the back of his shirt. “What makes you think I don’t have plans?”

Lucky turned in a flash, grabbed her around the waist and slid his hand under her skirt to rub her through her panties. “I know you’ve got plans, sugar. I can feel what you’ve got in mind. It’s warm and moist.” He slipped his finger around the silken barrier to slide against her wetness. She moaned when his finger left her. He brought it to his lips. “And it tastes so sweet.”

Claudia came to her senses as Lucky stepped back. She swung an arm to slap him, but he grabbed it and pulled her close once again. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” she hissed. Even though she was pissed, her body throbbed against him.

“I’m just keeping it real baby.  If we give them a show every now and then, the word will spread, and pretty soon, we’ve got a casino full of gambling voyeurs,” he murmured against her skin as he nibbled on her neck. “Now, I’ve got to go put out more fires.” He kissed her again, amid cheers and bar pounding, and then hopped over the bar with a grin and a bow. “Oh, and lose the panties, darlin’.”

Claudia shook her head and grinned. He definitely wasn’t boring her.

Hi! I'm Maggie Adams. I live near St. Louis, MO, with my high school sweetheart, Ned, and my wonderful kids, Katie (Kyle) and Ross (Valerie). My life is like a walking, talking sitcom from I Love Lucy, but I love it, although people do tend to keep their distance from me!

Writing has always been my dream, with reading my favorite hobby. When I’m not writing, I can be found singing, dancing, and cooking, often all at the same time. I try to include a little bit of my life in everything I write, so when you read my books, keep your eyes wide open - I'm in there somewhere! Happy reading!

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Sky Chariots Saga by Emily Mah

Welcome to my tour stop for Sky Chariots Saga by Emily Mah!  

This is a YA/NA high fantasy series.  This is a series tour with three books. 

The tour runs September 21 to October 2 with reviews, author interviews, guest posts and excerpts. Check out the tour page for more information.

About Restless Earth:

For over a thousand years, the Tanoa have relied on their Earth Shamen to bring rich harvests, temper stone tools and weapons, and imbue pottery with strength like metal. Now, though, the bloodline has dwindled to one Shaman, Tuwa, who is trapped high in the mountains, holding bedrock together to prevent a volcanic eruption while the rest of her people flee to safety. The only way to save the village is for her to sacrifice herself and buy them the time they need to evacuate.

But her grandson, Ahote, refuses to abandon her to die. Rather than do as she asks—marry and bear daughters who might inherit her gift—he sets out to find the one person who might be able to save Tuwa’s life.

Kasha is a Tanoa girl in who lives in Solace, a city of the pale-skinned Andalanos. If the Engineers Guild ever discovers her gender or race, they could order her execution—for in violation of the King’s law, Master Engineer Seamus trained Kasha as his apprentice. She is a genius in all things mechanical and earned her master certification when only fourteen years old. Since Seamus’s death, she has been discreetly working his job as the City Engineer.

She knows there is no machine or technology that can save Tuwa. In order to complete this task, Kasha must invent a vehicle unlike anything the world has ever seen, and risk exposure and death in the process.

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About Blessing Sky:

Master Engineer Kasha lives in hiding. As a Tanoa and a woman, she has no legal right to her title, and risks expulsion or even execution if the Guild discovers her identity. For over a year she has served as the City Engineer of the Andalano city of Solace, home to the Winged Riders and their Pegasus mounts.

Now, though, her people need her. The last of their Earth Shamen is trapped in the mountains, holding back a volcanic eruption so that the rest of her people can escape. It is a job for only the greatest of all engineers, and that happens to be Kasha.

But when her kinsman, Ahote, breaks the most sacred law of the Winged Riders, an alliance with him means certain death. Kasha must work alone to solve the most difficult engineering problem of all time before the summer months are done and winter comes to claim the life of the Shaman and the hope of her people.

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About Cleansing Fire:

Kasha has lived her life in hiding, working the job of the City Engineer of Wingmount, in a society that lets neither women, nor any member of the Tanoa race work trades. Finally, she has been offered the chance to work for her own people, who must evacuate their beloved Earth Shaman from the slopes of an active volcano. No other engineer in history could build the craft that Kasha has designed for this task: the sky chariot. However, in order to fly it, she and her cousin, Ahote, will breach the most sacred rules of the Andalanos, the pale skinned race of people who govern their nation. Once, Kasha thought she would not mind betraying them. They had only given her grief. But as she has grown in her talent for engineering, many Andalanos have supported her at great risk to themselves. Even high ranking government officials seek her counsel and beg for her aid in a costly war they fight on the coast, in a part of the kingdom Kasha has never seen and never thought she’d care about. There is no way to help one people without betraying the other, and in this society, betrayal often means death. Kasha must decide where her loyalties lie, and whether she is up to the task of saving the last shaman of her people.

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Excerpt:

As Ahote climbed in, the craft leveled itself. The seats felt flimsy as the wood bowed under his weight. Only Kasha’s confidence convinced him that this rideable kite, or “sky chariot,” would hold together. As they strapped in, the wind tugged and yanked at the great wing that spanned over their heads, sending shudders through the craft’s entire frame.

Air is a substance, like water, Ahote thought. They weren’t about to try to fly off into nothing, but rather to sail an invisible sea. Kasha had explained this, and on its face, the concept did make sense. Air could lift a kite, turn a windmill, or even create winds strong enough to destroy a wood-frame house. Still, Ahote preferred to rely on things he could see. When Kasha said that things were a certain way, she was never wrong.

Which was why he was sitting in a seat suspended below a large kite, preparing to leave the ground. He took Sky’s lines in his hands, and the brown-and-white paint Pegasus, feeling them shift against his sides, bent his neck to look back at them.

“All right,” Kasha said loud enough for her voice to carry. “Let’s go.”

Ahote took a deep breath of air scented with the slightest touch of morning dew then coaxed Sky with a slap of the lines.

The Winged responded at once, going from a standing start to a loping run. The harness lines went taut, and the chariot lurched forward with a jerk. They’d chosen the smoothest stretch of land they could find, but even still, the wooden skids on the bottom of the craft transmitted every bump and hollow. After Ahote snapped the lines again, Sky moved into a canter and then a gallop. His wings were still folded against his sides.

The chariot bounced and jostled until a gust of wind caught it and hefted it into the air. Ahote had to admit that the chill whipping across his skin and through his hair did indeed feel like a substance. The great cloth wing above them billowed out like a ship’s sail, and the ground fell away beneath them. He sucked in his breath and focused on Sky, who was still running along the ground below.

The pegasus looked back and up at his master.

“All right?” Ahote had to yell to be heard.

Kasha’s lips were pinched into a firm line, one hand gripping the wooden rail in front of them with white knuckles. With the other, she manipulated the omni-directional lever that controlled the chariot’s rudder and flaps. She gave a curt nod.

“Up, Sky!” Ahote shouted, snapping the lines a third time.

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About the Author:

Emily writes as both Emily Mah (for science fiction and fantasy) and E.M. Tippetts (for chick lit). Her short stories have appeared in Analog Science Fiction and Fact, The Black Gate, and anthologies like The Dragon and the Stars, Shanghai Steam, and The Change: Tales of Downfall and Rebirth.  Her E.M. Tippetts novels have been on the Amazon Top 100 numerous times, and her novel, Someone Else's Fairytale was semi-finalist for the Best Indie Book of the Year -  Kindle Book Review, and a runner up in Romance for the Best of the Independent Book Awards - eFestival of Words. She is a graduate of the Clarion West Writer's Workshop for Science Fiction and Fantasy and Viable Paradise Writers Workshop, and she often teaches the unit on self-publishing at the Taos Toolbox Writers Workshop.When she is not writing or chasing small children, she manages E.M. Tippetts Book Designs, her company which offers formatting, cover design, and editing services to authors and publishers.

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