Book Title: Happiness in Jersey (The Prototype Series)
Author: Jacinta Howard
Genre: New Adult Romance
Release Date: August 29, 2015
Hosted by: Book Enthusiast Promotions
The only thing in Jersey Kinkaid’s world that she has time for are keeping her grades up so that she doesn’t lose her scholarship to South Texas University, playing the bass in her band, The Prototype, and satisfying her coffee addiction. Oh, and the occasional random hook-up she indulges in to pass the time.
Love? Eh, not so much. Save that crap for a Katherine Heigl or Natalie Portman movie.
Jersey’s seen enough in life (courtesy of her Pops) to realize that undying romance is nothing more than a myth used to sell books and movie tickets. As she knows too well, the only thing inevitable in life is death— love is definitely not promised.
That’s why when Jersey meets Isaiah “Zay” Broussard with his soulful gray eyes, quick wit and easy charm, she’s determined to remain aloof. She doesn't have time to get sidetracked by fleeting fantasies, even if she does feel an unexplainable connection to Zay she’s never experienced before.
But when his interest in her only seems to intensify, despite her attempts to brush him off, she gets to see a side of him and herself she didn’t expect…
“So those are the only relationships you’ve had? Purely platonic or purely sexual?”
“Yeah.”
“And having purely sexual relationships… it’s worked for you? You’ve never wanted more?” He glanced at me, arching his brow.
“No,” I answered immediately, truthfully. “I’ve never really been with anyone that I actually wanted in that way. And that obviously works for most guys. It’s not like they’re interested in exploring the depths of my soul or anything. And the few that pretend they are, I just cut them off because I don’t have time for bullshit and I know they’ll lose interest as soon as the next pretty or sexy or whatever girl comes along.”
His eyes remained on the road, his expression still stoic.
“Sex is just… a release,” I said with finality.
He shook his head slowly and looked over at me.
“Nah, Kitten. I don’t think that’s true. At all.”
I rolled my eyes. “So you’ve been in love before, I take it?”
He was watching the road again. “Yeah.”
“More than once?”
“Just once,” he said, glancing at me.
It wasn’t my style to ask what she was like and her name and all of that. I never cared enough to go on trips down memory lane with guys. I also never cared enough to get a knot in my chest at the mention of a girlfriend, or former love either, like the one that had quickly formed just now.
“And I take it you had earth-shattering, soul piercing sex with her?” I observed, more than asked, unable to keep the sarcasm out of my tone. I’d been looking out of the window when I asked the question and I glanced at him. He shook his head, grinning at me slightly.
“I’ve had meaningful sex, yeah.” He looked back toward the road. “I’ve also had meaningless sex. So I know the difference. I know which one is infinitely better.”
I stared at him, anger rising in my chest.
“You trying to lecture me?” I asked coolly.
He glanced at me and shook his head. “I’m not in the position to lecture anyone, Jersey,” he said with a humorless chuckle, “trust me.”
He turned his attention to the road again. “I’m just saying that you should open yourself up to the idea that sex can mean more than just lust or a quick release with the right person. It can be a physical extension of the love you have for that person. And that can definitely be incredible.”
His voice had dropped an octave as he looked at me and I shifted in my seat. He finally released my gaze and concentrated on the road.
“Every relationship isn’t bad, Kitten. Every relationship has things you have to work on and deal with—that’s just life. But with the right person, all of that is worth it.”
He paused, his eyes still fixed on the highway, his expression serious. “Tomorrow isn’t promised to any of us. Relationships with other people are what makes life, life. The in between stuff? That’s really the best part.”
He glanced at me again and I released a breath. I still didn’t believe him, but he seemed to believe what he was saying, which I respected.
I reached forward and turned on the radio. We were in the middle of Texas, so of course, the stations were mostly country. The Civil Wars’ “Poison and Wine” came leaking through the speakers, filling the car with its haunting but serene melody. I was surprised when Zay started absently singing the words, although I don’t know why. I joined him on the chorus and he looked over at me, giving me another one of his slow grins.
I smiled and looked out of the window, letting the wind caress my fingertips as I closed my eyes, his earlier words swirling in my mind.
Jacinta Howard is the author of new adult and contemporary romance with a real-life edge. Since 2014, she's released three novels, including the well-received Love Always Series which includes the titles Better Than Okay, More Than Always and Less Than Forever. She also released the USA TODAY Must-Read Romance, Happiness in Jersey.
"Happiness In Jersey by Jacinta Howard is a hip, emotional story that belongs on the shelves with other popular New Adult romances. Thanks to Jacinta Howard's skill in making Jersey and the rest of the cast colorful and solid, the story is full of flavor, while offering a mix of life lessons to ponder long after reading." --USA TODAY
Book: I Am The Alpha Series: The Moon Forged Trilogy: Book 1
Authors: A.J. Downey & Ryan Kells
Release Date: 8/4/2015
Blurb
The pack has ruled over its territory, the wilds of Washington, for a generation, but that has all crumbled with the murder of the Alpha. William Reese is determined he will heal the pack by taking leadership, but in doing so he pits himself against enemies he may not be able to beat.
Chloe has been pulled from her home and thrust into a world she never knew existed, a world her father was careful to keep hidden from her. She is now threatened with a gruesome death by terrifying creatures from legend.
Somehow William and Chloe must find a way to work together to stay alive against the forces determined to see them dead.
A.J. Downey is a born and raised Seattle, WA Native.
She finds inspiration from her surroundings, through the people she meets and likely as a byproduct of way too much caffeine.
She has lived many places and done many things though mostly through her own imagination... An avid reader all of her life it's now her turn to try and give back a little, entertaining as she has been entertained. She lives in a small house in a small neighborhood with a larger than life fiancé and one cat.
A California native and avid reader, for Ryan, making the transition from reader to writer was simply the next logical evolution.
He enjoys a number of genres from paranormal suspense to dystopian post-apocalyptic. All of his work contains a romantic spin with a decidedly erotic flair.
Get your heartbeat racing with 13 romantic-suspense novels from USA Today bestselling and award-winning authors. Nerve-wracking thrills and dangers, heart-melting romance and love--enjoy them all in this outstanding collection of DANGEROUS ENCOUNTERS....
Fallen Idol - Nikki Lynn Barrett
Sparks ignite between a single father and a singer making her musical comeback, but danger lurks in the distance, only getting closer as time goes on. For two people who want different things out of life, it's possible to find healing together...
Cross Examination - Denise Moncrief
Tamara Slay moves to Louisiana, hoping for a fresh start. An unexpected phone call from a Sheriff’s deputy in Florida shatters her new sense of security.
Lt. Martin Beck has been investigating the death of Brandy Fuller for years. New evidence leads him to meet the estranged wife of his primary suspect. Together, Beck and Tamara conclude that her husband Scott murdered eight women on the Florida Gulf coast.
Carnival Tricks - Jade Kerrion
A fight during Sofia's waitressing shift turns fatal, and a dying scientist launches her into the shady world of scientific espionage. The unwilling trustee of research that people would kill to obtain, Sofia turns to the man who steps out of the shadows to protect her, even though he appears as dangerous and disreputable as the people who hunt her.Together, Sofia and Kyle must unravel the truth behind the illicit information she carries before one or both of them are killed.
Height of Danger - Nancy and Nolan Radke
Someone is killing construction workers at a Central American dam site, and CIA operative Owen Putman is sent in undercover to discover the who and why. The boss' lovely daughter picks this time to visit her father, and Owen kidnaps her to keep her safe. He finds himself juggling his mission, her safety, and his identity - and she manages to endanger them all.
Six Days of Memories - Stacy Eaton
When Detective Foster responds to the scene of a crash, she finds the female passenger dead, a bag full of money in the back seat and a body in the trunk. It is only when the driver, whom she nicknames Jay, wakes up with no memory that she must go with her instincts and continue the investigation in a way that was never taught in the academy.
Broken Lies, by Sharon Coady
After training with an Elitie unit of the Irish Special Forces, Niall is sent by his father to New York to be a bodyguard for Mr. Pierce. Abby is a woman with an abusive boyfriend and a painful past. She catches Niall's eye and he finds himself drawn to her.
Their lives change forever when they are drawn into a battle of deception, lies and murder. Can Niall keep her safe from whoever seems Hell bent of keeping them apart?
Don't Know Jack - Amy Manemann
Special Agent Jack Hamlin is a risk taker who isn’t afraid to do whatever it takes to bring criminals to justice. Until he meets small town bakery owner, Kate Monroe. Danger, white hot romance, and stress baking ensue as Kate is swept into Jack’s dangerous world—and Jack's loyalties and training are put to the test when his cover is blown, and Kate’s life is on the line.
Cypher - Cathy Perkins
When a hitman kills the wrong person, Detective David Morris confronts hidden agendas and conflicting motives in a powerful local family, while trying to control his attraction to the intended victim—a woman who should be dead, but instead is hell-bent on saving the remnants of her family.
Unwilling to stand by while her family and world are destroyed, Cara Wainwright rips apart the secrets surrounding Cypher, the company her father built—and will take any measures to defend.
Imprisoned for murder and exonerated after eight years, Max Kensington returns to his hometown. His return forces Rosemary Spelling, his ex-fiancée, to confront the past. The day Max allegedly killed her sister destroyed her life, ripping apart her family and landing her mother in a mental institution. When murders start again and all evidence points to Max, Rose must team up with him to catch her sister’s real killer.
Tidal Falls- Jacquie Biggar
Sara Reed is on the run from an abusive ex with ties to organized crime. Mistakenly thinking her and her daughter would be safer if she had some kind of leverage, she takes a copy of some valuable files. Files that make her a target.
Nick Kelley is an ex-marine trying to find his place now that his career is over due to injuries suffered from an IED. When the two of them meet in the pretty little town of Tidal Falls, the experience is explosive.
Suspended Animation - Sylvie Grayson
Katy Dalton worked hard and when her friend Bruno talked her into an investment in Rome Trucking, it seemed like a safe bet. But when her job disappears and she needs her money back, Bruno stops answering his phone and bad things start to happen.
The last thing Brett Rome wants to do is leave a promising career in hockey to come home and run his ailing father’s trucking company. What he discovers is not the successful business that he remembers, but one that is teetering on the edge of bankruptcy and a young woman demanding the return of her money. But danger lurks in the form of Bruno's dubious associates. What secret are they hiding and why are they willing to kill Katy? Can Brett put this broken picture back together, and is Katy part of the solution or the problem?
Knowing Vera – Award-Winning Author Rachelle Ayala
Vera's dating Zach, casually, not committed, when she discovers her long-departed father is the killer of Zach's mother many years ago. Meanwhile, Zach reevaluates his life after losing his leg in a tragic accident and realizes he's falling in love with Vera.
Can their timing be so wrong? Vera and Zach must depend on each other for survival and find a dangerous killer before he can kill again.
Special Agent Francesca – USA Today Bestselling Author Mimi Barbour
Is action her thrill of choice - or his lips?
Violence, suspense and sizzling romance explode during Special Agent Francesca’s humorous journey, fighting off the mob! Dr. Sean Collins wants to tame her! Yeah-like that’s gonna happen. Only one thing keeps Francesca motivated. Proving to her mother, the FBI “Snow Queen,” that working undercover is where she belongs.
**B&N link will be available shortly
USA Today Bestselling author Nikki Lynn Barrett
I'm an avid lover of books. I've been writing as far back as I can remember, completing my first "book" by fifth grade in one of those one subject spiral notebooks. I have a passion for music, photography, jewelry and all things creative. I live in Arizona with my husband and son, but dream of being somewhere much colder and stormier. For now, I'll have to live that life through my characters and stick it out with the summer heat.
Denise Moncrief is a Southern girl who has lived in Louisiana all her life, and yes, she has a drawl. She has a wonderful husband and two incredible children, who not only endure her writing moods, but also encourage her to indulge her writing passion. Besides writing romantic suspense, she enjoys traveling, reading, and scrapbooking.
Jade Kerrion writes award-winning and occasionally best-selling science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary novels anchored on unlikely romances you will root for and happy endings you can believe in. Her favorite romance is the Double Helix love triangle between Galahad—the lab-created perfect human being; Danyael—an alpha empath and Galahad’s physical template; and Zara—the woman who can wreak more havoc with love than most people can with hate. Visit her website for a free copy of Perfection Unleashed, the six-time award winning novel that launched the Double Helix series.
Nancy and Nolan Radke are a mother and son team who write individually, checking each other's books, and who have now collaborated on a mystery/thriller. Nancy draws upon a teaching background and Nolan has a law enforcement background and is now a building contractor.
Stacy Eaton is an International Best Selling Amazon author of eight books and a full-time detective who has a passion for putting the pieces together while investigating the crime. She is also a wife, mother, business owner and on the board of directors for her local domestic violence center. When she’s not ‘working’, she’s ‘writing’. Stacy loves chilling with her family and photography.
Sharon Coady lives in Florida with her husband, three of their daughters and five of their eleven grandchildren. She wrote two books before discovering Romance novels. She has now written a romantic suspense, a romance novella and is currently writing a Christmas novella. She has two published novels. When not working as a nurse for the Veterans Administration or writing she enjoys spending time with her family and riding behind her husband on their Harley.
Amy Manemann is an International Best Selling Author who writes sexy and intriguing romantic suspense, young adult paranormal romance, contemporary romance (NEW), and dabbles in children's books. She resides in her hometown along the Mississippi river with her husband and their two children. When she isn't plotting her next book, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, and diving into a good book.
Amy is also a site administrator for the World Literary Café, an online literary community for authors and readers. www.worldliterarycafe.com.
Award-winning author Cathy Perkins works in the financial industry, where she's observed the hide-in-plain-sight skills employed by her villains. She writes predominantly financial-based mysteries but enjoys exploring the relationship aspect of her characters' lives. When not writing, she can be found doing battle with the beavers over the pond height or setting off on another travel adventure. Born and raised in South Carolina, the setting for CYPHER, HONOR CODE and THE PROFESSOR, she now lives in Washington with her husband, children, several dogs and the resident deer herd.
Best-selling author Chantel Rhondeau once thought a great mystery or fantasy book with strong romantic themes was the highest level of reading bliss. After reading her first romantic suspense novel, she never looked back. Chantel is author of six romantic suspense novels, a Christmas novella, and the new McCallister’s Paradise series. She lives in the western United States, and when she's not writing she loves playing cards with her family, bowling on leagues, and snuggling with her lazy kitties.
Jacquie Biggar lives in paradise along the west coast of Canada with her husband, daughter, & grandson. She loves reading, writing, and flower gardening. Spoils her German Shepherd, Annie, and Calico cat, Harley. And can't function without coffee.
Sylvie Grayson has published romantic suspense novels, Suspended Animation, Legal Obstruction, and The Lies He Told Me, all about strong women who meet with dangerous odds, stories of tension and attraction. She has also written The Last War series, a romantic fantasy set to be released in 2015. She has been an English language instructor, a nightclub manager, an auto shop bookkeeper and a lawyer. She lives in southern British Columbia with her husband on a small piece of land near the Pacific Ocean that they call home, when she's not travelling the world looking for adventure.
Rachelle Ayala is a bestselling Asian American author of dramatic romantic suspense and humorous, sexy contemporary romances. Her heroines are feisty and her heroes hot. She writes emotionally challenging stories but believes in the power of love and hope. She has won awards in multicultural and historical romance.
Mimi Barbour is a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author and the author of: The Vicarage Bench, Angels with Attitudes, Vegas, Elvis and the new sizzling Undercover FBI Series, Mimi lives on the East coast of Vancouver Island and writes her various romances with tongue in cheek and a mad glint in her eye. “If I can steal a booklover’s attention away from their every-day grind, absorb them into a fictional love story, and make them care about the ending, then I’ve done my job.”
