Book Spotlight ~ Rendezvous with Hymera - Melinda De Ross

Description 

Rendezvous with Hymera follows the development of a beautiful love story and a bizarre chain of events which lead to the investigation of a mystery that falls into a strange and somewhat paranormal discipline - Yoga.

The amateurish investigation starts when Clara DeVine changes her plans for a vacation and ends up in a strange place, where strange things happen. In the scene enters Colin Lambert, a special man from Clara’s past. Their attempts to elucidate the intriguing mystery bring them close again and the unfinished business between them turns into a beautiful and hot love story.
The fate of the female enigma of this story seems to resemble, in a strange way, that of the people lost during The Philadelphia Experiment.

Buy Links: Amazon | Front Porch Romance

About the Author

Melinda De Ross (real name Anca-Melinda Coliolu) was born on the 4th of July 1986 in Alexandria, Romania. She graduated a Mathematics high school, has a Law degree and has been a professional target shooter for ten years, being a multiple National Champion and holds a National Record at this sport.

She has been working as a journalist since high school until present, writing for several newspapers.

 She is married to Ionut-Augustin Coliolu and currently lives in Romania.

Links

Website | Facebook

Book Tour ~ The Big Empty by Ritch Gaiti - Guest Post + Giveaway

The Big Empty

by Ritch Gaiti

Publisher: Sedona Editions

Published: May 2013

ISBN (ebook): 978-0-9833837-3-4

Reviews

“…masterfully conceived, exquisitely written, dramatically atmospheric…Highly recommended.” Grady Harp, Literary Aficionado/Amazon Hall of Fame Reviewer

“…a home run with fiction lovers, conspiracy theorists and anyone who likes a fast-paced mystery that keeps the reader guessing until the very end.” Pacific Book Review

“…characters are detailed, realistic, and incredibly three dimensional…you are never exactly sure who is trustworthy.” Laurie Love, AGoddessofLiterature.com

“…a great slow-burning mystery thriller.” James Goulding

The Big Empty -summary

A gritty lawyer uncovers an ancient conspiracy and the betrayal of a man and a nation. A thriller mystery of treachery, trust and redemption.

Every instinct I had told me to get out but I couldn’t, not now. This simple case would trigger repercussions that would unnerve the city, maybe the country. I was about to open doors that had been
nailed shut for a lifetime. And the only path to the truth was through a labyrinth of deceit. I trusted no one, not even myself. My stomach tightened.

The ten years had slipped by like a century. I never thought I’d see New York again and now I find myself buried in its bowels, unsure of what I was after—but I knew I had to find it. I snaked through the city bureaucracy, historical landmarks and some of the most prominent properties in the city, all intricately linked. Nothing fit, yet everything connected and answers only bred more questions. Somehow it had all been mysteriously tied back to me.

I ventured into the darkest tunnel of all, my own. I realized then why I was chosen—why I had been the only one that could find this elusive document. Deep within a maze of deceptions and betrayals,
I uncovered a massive conspiracy among the most esteemed organizations in the world—and the truth that had sent my life into a tailspin ten years ago was far from true. Suddenly, this seemingly routine assignment suddenly had enormous stakes and consequences. Now it was up to me to mend an ancient injustice and the fate of an entire culture.

Guest Post ~ Motivation and inspiration 

I have many books in my creative pipeline – all in some stage of development – from idea scratchings to almost-completed, ready-to-go-except-for-one-more-thing, tomes. Sometimes I start a book because I have an idea, a beginning, or a character or a particular voice – quite often I have no clue where the story is going or how it will get there. Quite often, the storyline and plot have not been fully thought out and are in a constant state of flux. That is the adventure of writing – you can change your fictional reality.

But there are two aspects that distinguish my completed books from the rest - the characters and the message. 

I know my characters well - who they are, how they will react, what they will say and do in any circumstance. In fact, as I write, it’s as if the character’s hands are on my keyboard and I am just 
witnessing the birth of dialogue. I am not inside the character’s heads; I AM the character.  I love strong characters that are elegantly flawed. And I love to experience them as they succeed and fail and change and grow.

So the character is my vehicle and my message is my goal. How the character gets from here to there evolves through the story. Every book I have written has had a strong message – not a moralistic one, rather something I want to bring into the reader’s awareness. In TWEET, it was a humorous account about consumerism and how we have become an impersonal society where the individual has no say. I chose Glebe, quirky and very funny, as my lead character. 

In DUTCHING THE BOOK, my message was to depict the mini society of horse playing and gambling in 1960’s Brooklyn, which was based on real people and events. In this case, I actually knew the characters well in real life, so writing about them was like reliving moments that I had never been part of.  

THE BIG EMPTY, my latest book, presented a different challenge because I wanted to deliver the story on several different levels. My goal was to convey a socially significant narrative through the gritty first-person voice of gritty Rick Wallace, a washed up Native American lawyer with a buried past.  As gritty as he was, I wanted to convey the thought of destiny and some external influence on our actions. Simultaneously, I had a personal mission to reveal and remedy past historical injustices.  

THE BIG EMPTY started with a character and a message and, after years of writes, re-writes and re-writes, everything came together in a multi-layered, slow burning, gritty mystery. I had three layers of storyline that I had to weave together – that’s the fun, frustration and challenge of writing. So the constants are the same – characters and a message – the rest is the journey of the creative process.

Ritch Gaiti

Ritch Gaiti is an author, an artist and a former Wall Street Executive. He focuses on a wide range of subjects and genres: from drama to suspense to humor; from fiction to non-fiction. His first book, Points, Women Have Them, Men Need Them, was a humorous relationship book. Afterwards, sticking with humor, he wrote Tweet, a fictional satire on consumerism and the advertising industry. Recently, Tweet has been optioned for a feature film. His last book, Dutching the Book, a fictional drama based on real people and events, delivers an absorbing story about horse racing and gambling in 1960’s Brooklyn.

Ritch has also written articles for magazines, including Private Wealth, Tango and Balance magazines and has been featured on national TV and radio, including a guest appearance on the Today Show, opposite Joan Rivers.

In addition to writing, Ritch is a recognized artist who exhibits regularly in galleries and museums across the country. His portfolio can be viewed on: www.Gaiti.com. He is also recreational pilot and enjoys tennis and skiing. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Spotlight ~ Penumbra - Kat Micari

Description 

Fed up with the dirty city and a disenchanting life as a fashion model, Beauty's world is at least safe. But the illusion of safety shatters the night that she frees herself from her self-imposed fears only to be thrust into the magical underbelly of the city, where forces that want to save humanity and evil beings that want to feed off humanity’s despair fight for balance and power.

Forced from both the comforts and the trappings of her old life, now hunted by a cadre of sinister, rat-faced business men, Beauty's only hope is to join with a strange magical ally. Together, with the help of fae creatures in unlikely guises, they must seek out an enchanted, improbable artifact that can heal the city before evil tips the balance, once and for all.

This powerful coming-of-age fairy tale follows the path of a young heroine who chooses to take fate into her own hands for the first time in her life, and of the consequences that her choice has on the magical beings of the city.

Genre: New Adult, Urban fantasy

Buy Links: Amazon

About the Author

Kat Micari is an author and artist living in the northeast of the United States with her husband, son, and two cats. She enjoys reading a clever turn of phrase, walking in nature, and dancing to the music of the universe. Above all, she loves creating and encouraging others to create.

Links

Goodreads | Library Thing | Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr | Blog

Book Tour ~ Dark Night of the Soul by E.M. Havens - Excerpt

FANTASY

Date to be Published: 7/1/2013

What comes after life? Jayden Schroeder is about to find out. At the end of the road of despair, she ends it all and finds out that living might not have been so bad. Thrust into a strange and disparate world, Jayden joins a team of warriors from all places and time. Together they battle demons to save the souls of the living, all the while on the run from the end of all things - The Judgment.

Will she fight for a second chance to spare those she loves? Or surrender?

Dark Night of the Soul is a fantastical journey, both literally and figuratively for Jayden’s soul. Action adventure, fantasy, romance, and dark humor twist together to create an afterlife tale that will keep you thinking long after the final chapter.

About the Author

Who is E.M. Havens? I’m a lot of things. The word that seems to define me most at the moment is mom. It can be all consuming. Not only am I a mom of three (one of them is a teenager…pity me), but I also home-school (pity me more). I share this awesome responsibility with the love of my life, best friend, and soul-mate husband.


Add to that, the twenty-five chickens, twelve turkeys, ten guineas, nine pigs, three barn cats, two Great Pyrenees guardian dogs, a Chihuahua, a house cat, and a goose, it makes for one crazy, full, and certainly entertaining life.


Somewhere in there I find the time to write. I started out young writing poems, then moved on to songs. I actually have a Bachelor in Music with a secondary in Science because I can’t stand English. Yes, the writer hates English. I like to read the story for the experience of reading the story, not to nitpick each letter and comma. But I digress.


I eventually found blogging and really enjoyed sharing my life that way. When an unfortunate turn of events separated me from my music equipment, I decided to use my overactive imagination, my love of reading, and my new found hobby, prose writing, to release some of my creative energy. I wrote my first novel and loved the experience. Fate War: Alliance is actually the second novel I wrote and the first to be published. Now I’m working on my third and several sequels to Fate War!


So that’s pretty much me, sitting in the Arbuckle Mountains of Oklahoma, reading, writing, collecting eggs from the coop, and being a schoolmarm. It’s a pretty great life.


Blog | Facebook | Facebook 2 | twitter: @havensem | Goodreads

Excerpt

My senses snapped back with sharp clarity. I laid on my back staring at dappled sunlight through a canopy of green leaves. My fingers curled around the soft dirt and twigs beneath them. I was afraid to move, unsure of where I was or what had happened. Hadn’t I just killed myself?

I turned my head enough to see forest to my right. The same on the left. I chanced sitting up a bit and propped myself up on my elbows. Forest in front. My gaze fell to my legs.

“What the hell?”

I wore camo. Ugh. But I wasn’t fat. I looked at my hands. They seemed older. My boobs! I copped a feel then tugged the collar of my khaki and brown camouflage shirt out and took a peek. They were perfect.

I pulled a strand of hair in front of me. Blonde. Now my heart was pumping.

I scurried to my feet trying to take in more of myself and my surroundings. I wore full military garb with a handgun strapped to my hip. A really big gun lay on the ground next to where I woke up at the edge of a camp with a fire and tents, and everything.

And me. From what I could see, my body looked perfect, just like Becky Greenwood, the cheer captain. I bet my face was too. I bet I even had blue eyes. I must be in heaven. But why camo?

“Damn it! Who ordered the newbie?”

I spun to face the gruff male voice behind me. There at the edge of the camp stood a group of five people that my mind struggled to assimilate. A knight in shining armor, a female samurai, and another man dressed in a gold foil jumpsuit stared at me.

The man upfront, who had spoken, wore camo pants like mine and a black shirt. A woman next to him eyed me. She looked like a druid or monk and carried a staff. In a thick Irish accent, she snarled.“Welcome ta hell, brat.”

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Book Spotlight ~ Softly Say Goodbye - KC Sprayberry

Description 

Erin Sellers, an eighteen-year-old high school senior, hates teen drinking. She and her three friends – Bill, her guy, Shari and Jake - decide to use Twitter to stop a group, the Kewl Krew, from using their high school as the local bar. But the members of this group are just as determined to stop anyone from messing up their fun. Despite veiled threats to her safety, Erin continues her crusade.

To make matters worse for her, the stress of school and extracurricular work mounts and suddenly, shockingly, booze-fueled tragedy strikes. Erin is now under greater pressure as she spends all hours to produce a mural and other work to commemorate the death of a teen friend. Bill, Jake and Shari support her in all this...

But more tragedy lurks nearby… until it’s time to softly say goodbye.

Genre: Young Adult

Buy Links : Amazon Kindle | Amazon Paperback | Solstice Publishing

About the Author

I am happily married to a man I met while in the Air Force. We recently celebrated our 18 years of marriage. Our teen, the youngest of 8, keeps us on our toes with his band activities. Writing is something I've done since I was very young. At first, it was in a diary and then I poured all my energies into English compositions, earning praise from my Advanced Composition teacher in high school for an extremely visual project. While in the Air Force, I placed second in the Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge's annual contest and from then on, was hooked. However, the reality of a military career and raising children forced me to put off attempting publication until my husband and I moved to Georgia. It was after the birth of our now teen that I began taking courses through The Institute of Children's Literature, Long Ridge Writer's Group, and Writers Digest in an effort to make my life's dream come true.

We live in Northwest Georgia, in a small town, where I write Romance, Westerns, Young Adult, and Middle Grade stories, both short and book length. More than a dozen of my short stories have appeared in magazines such as Listen Magazine, Brio, and The Pink Chameleon website. I also have two short stories in anthologies, Passionate Hearts Anthology and Mystery Times Ten. My westerns have garnered interest by avid readers and appear on The Western Online and Frontier Tales.

My work appears under the pen names of KC Sprayberry and Kathi Sprayberry. Softly Say Goodbye, a young adult novel, was my NaNoWriMo winning project for 2010. This story was inspired by a quote from a song and hearing of an auto wreck involving teens and drinking.

Links

Facebook | Twitter | Blog | Website |  Goodreads | JacketFlap | Amazon |

 Google + | Pinterest | Authorgraph

Book Spotlight ~ Horse Country – A World of Horses by Christine Meunier

Description 

Horse Country follows the lives of 4 young women working in the horse industry. Two instruct horse riding at their parents’ metropolitan riding school, whilst the other two are working in the thoroughbred stud industry. It aptly shows the seasons in both facets of the equine industry.


Genre: New Adult

Buy links:

Lulu (Paperback) 

Lulu (ebook) 

Amazon Kindle

About the Author

Christine Meunier considers herself introduced to the wonderful world of horses at the late age of 13 when her parents agreed to lease a horse for her. She started experiencing horses via books from a young age and continues to do so, but recognises that horses cannot be learnt solely from books.

She has been studying horses from age 16, starting with the Certificate II in Horse Studies and is currently undertaking her Bachelor of Equine Science via distance education.

Christine has worked at numerous thoroughbred studs in Australia as well as overseas inIreland for a breeding season.

She then gained experience in a couple of Melbourne based horse riding schools, instructing at a basic level before heading off overseas again, this time to South Africa to spend hours in the saddle of endurance and trail horses on the Wild Coast.

Particularly passionate about the world of breeding horses, she teaches equine studies focused on breeding, at a TAFE, Victoria, Australia.

She also writes a blog about equine education which you can view at http://equus-blog.com/

Horse Country Sites:

http://www.horsecountrybook.com/

http://www.facebook.com/HorseCountryBook

Book Spotlight ~ Capitol Hell - Alicia M. Long & Jayne J. Jones

Description 

When recent college graduate Allison Amundson, a small town girl from South Dakota, lands the highly sought after job of scheduler to the newly-elected and rising star of the United States Senate, Senator Anders McDermott III, she thinks she is on the fast track to success.

However, she quickly learns that crazy co-workers, a high maintenance boss, an over-the-top family and an unexpected Presidential bid make Capitol Hill seem even more dysfunctional than portrayed on TV. In fact, it is Capitol Hell.

The second Allison sets foot in the prestigious Senate Russell Building, things begin to go awry. Allison soon realizes her co-workers consist of a Chief of Staff who has little to no control over the antics in the office, a Press Secretary who is not only pompous, but who is constantly primping and preening, and worst of all the Senator himself, who cares more about his rise to fame than the people of Minnesota.

As Allison struggles to juggle a new career, her blooming love interest in Cam (a quiet but loyal Legislative Assistant), and her ever-declining bank account, she is comforted only by her co-worker Janet, a fireplug who spends the majority of her time on-line dating, trying to land a Senator of her own.

Just as Allison and Janet begin to figure out the ins and outs of Capitol Hill, their lives are turned upside down when Senator McDermott announces his bid for President of the United States. Soon, Allison and Janet find themselves at the center of one of the craziest campaigns in history, and hilarity ensues.

This off-beat, funny novel captures and shares what it is like to be a young staffer working on Capitol Hill.

Genre: Chick -Lit 

Buy Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

About the Authors

Jayne Jones and Alicia Long, co-authors of Capitol Hell began their political careers working for former Senator Norm Coleman (MN) as staffers in both his St. Paul, MN and Washington, D.C. offices. Fast friends, the two  stuck together through thick and thin, recently joining forces to write a novel about life as a Capitol Hill staffer. 

Jayne Jones, a graduate of William Mitchell College of Law, worked for US  Senator Norm Coleman from 2002-2006, then headed to the Minnesota House of Representatives, where she was the Executive Assistant to the Speaker of the House, Steve Sviggum. 

Jayne loves reality television, funky jewelry and skirts under $20. She thrives on meeting 

current and former United States Presidents, cheering for the University of North Dakota 

Sioux hockey team, catching Alaskan halibut, and aiming to win her family’s salsa making 

contest! On her bucket list: being on the Wheel of Fortune, going to happy hour with Kelly 

Ripa, and figuring out how to boil corn-on-the-cob for that oh-so-darn-good buttery taste. 

Following her passion to teach others about the legislative process, Jayne is starting a 

summer academic program for teens to master public policy. She also teaches political 

science at Concordia University, where her students have gained national attention for their legislative activities. Her students drafted, advocated for, and passed the Kyle Herman Bill of 2010 and worked hand-in-hand with state and federal elected officials on legislation to curb child abuse in the classroom. This year, Jayne’s students drafted the controversial “No Boozin’ and Cruzin” legislation to eliminate state legislator immunity from impaired driving. The bill soared through committee hearings, passed deadlines, but got tanked for floor action.

Jayne is a member of the Concordia University Advancement Committee, and a former inner city Girl Scout troop leader and live-in nanny. She is proud of her work with Margaret's Missions, ensuring travelers with disabilities get access to see the world and enjoy life's greatest adventures! Jayne is currently planning her wedding on a shoestring budget, and 

resides in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Alicia Long, a South Dakota native and graduate of the University of St. Thomas School of Law, worked for the United States Senate from 2002-2007 for Senators Norm Coleman (MN), John Thune (SD), and George Allen (VA) as a scheduler, caseworker, intern coordinator, legislative correspondent, and legislative aide.

In her spare time, Alicia loves cheering on the Green Bay Packers, working on her golf swing, and reading everything from In Touch magazine to The Great Gatsby to Supreme Court opinions. She also loves finding deals on fashion, funky high heels, and opts for wearing Calvin Klein dresses and a blazer in lieu of a suit any day. 

By day, Alicia fights the good fight at her current job in the Chief Counsel’s office of the Drug Enforcement Agency. By night you can find her scoping out happy hours, playing co-ed sports, or hitting up any of the endless social activities going on in D.C. Her bucket list includes sky diving, traveling the world, mastering the New York Times crossword puzzle, and marrying Green Bay Packer Quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

Alicia is originally from Hartford, South Dakota, a small town outside of Sioux Falls. In 2003, he received her B.A. in Political Science from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities and then moved to Washington, D.C. to work on Capitol Hill, where she mastered the metro system, became proficient at crashing receptions, and acted as a tour guide for friends and family. 

In 2007, Alicia returned to the Twin Cities to pursue her law degree at the University of St. Thomas. During law school, she worked as a law clerk in the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Minneapolis City Attorney’s Office. After graduating from law school, Alicia was selected to be a Presidential Management Fellow in the Department of Justice where she worked as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (SAUSA) in the criminal division of the United States Attorney's Office. As a SAUSA, Alicia brought 31 matters to trial, resulting in 26 convictions.

Alicia is a board member of the D.C. Chapter of University of Minnesota Alumni Association, a member of the University of St. Thomas School of Law’s Annual Giving Committee, and a former inner city Girl Scout troop leader. Alicia currently resides in Old Town, Alexandria, Virginia with her German Shepherd/Black Lab mix, Sarge. Capitol Hell by Jayne J. Jones & Alicia M. Long www.capitolhellbook.com

Links

Website | Facebook |Twitter | Goodreads

Book Blitz ~ Remembering Joy by Jenni Moen - Excerpt + Giveaway

Remembering Joy

by Jenni Moen

Release Date: 06/07/13

Summary from Goodreads:

Alexis doesn’t believe in fairytales. She knows first hand that life can turn on a dime – that one stupid mistake can shatter dreams and irrevocably shape the future. Even though her memory of that day is hazy, she has spent the last ten years trying to put it behind her and focus on the future.

Armed with the knowledge that her career will be her only legacy, Alexis works night and day to prove that she is more than just her last name. It’s not only that she doesn’t have time for love – she doesn’t have the heart for it. After all, there’s no point in starting something that you can’t finish.

However, when she meets Adam, she’s drawn to him in a way even she can’t deny. He is dark and brooding and strangely charming. He’s the perfect distraction from the mundane life she’s created for herself. And, as if fate is pushing them together, he seems to be around every corner. It’s enough to almost make her entirely forget about her past and take a chance.

Unfortunately, Adam’s memory isn’t hazy . . . not in the least. And, what she doesn’t remember, he can’t forget.

*Mature New Adult/Adult novel – contains adult situations and sexuality and is suited for ages 18 and up*

Available from:

  

About the Author

Jenni Moen lives in Oklahoma with her husband and three crazy, exuberant kids that have the potential to burn the house down at any moment. 

When she’s not chauffeuring kids around town, performing her mom duties as a short order cook and maid, or vacuuming for her fastidious husband, she hammers away at her keyboard at her big girl job as a patent attorney. While vodka and exercise have provided some relief from the daily grind, it is reading … and now writing … that are her true escapes.

Where to Jenni:

  

Excerpt 1:

Meet Alexis:

As we got closer to my building, a swarm of butterflies descended upon my stomach. By the time we stepped into the elevator, the butterflies were flitting around at warp speed, and as 

I unlocked my front door, my anxiety hit a fever pitch.

It wasn’t that I was nervous to be around Adam. Despite the fact that I frequently suffered from asthma attacks and heart murmurs when he was near, we were way past nervousness. 

Having a guy lick syrup off your fingers while desecrating his kitchen table will illicit a sense of familiarity, even if it is a false one. 

No, my anxiety was solely rooted in the fact that during my almost nine years in New York 

City, I had never invited a guy into my apartment. Not one. Not even Ethan had been invited into my inner sanctum. 

My apartment was my safe haven. It was the only place where I didn’t have to pretend that I was a whole person. In this space, I wasn’t the pretty girl with the perfect job made possible by an ivy-league education and a privileged upbringing by perfectly doting parents. Instead, I was free to be the broken, tired, lonely girl that I really was. In this place, it was okay that I wasn’t allowed to want for more because what I already had took everything in me. Inviting Adam into my apartment felt like inviting him into so much more. 

I flipped on the light as he shut the door behind us. The click of the door was probably just barely audible but caused me to wince. This hadn’t been a good idea. I wasn’t sure that I 

could put on the show here that came so easily everywhere else.

Meet Adam:

Dinner had gone just as I had planned. Well, except for one thing. I still didn’t understand 

how I could be so attracted to her; I had hated her for so long. Yet, I kept flipping back to 

that kiss on the sidewalk and how she had pressed her body into mine. I’d felt the charge 

between us, and I know that she felt it, too. When it became clear that she wasn’t going to 

invite me up, I had wanted nothing more than to sling her over my shoulder and haul her

ass up there caveman-style. I had resisted because I could wait and because when I went

there, it would be at the expense of a guilty conscience.

I thought that I knew all of her secrets but her prohibition against dating was something

I hadn’t expected. It was going to make getting her to fall for me a little harder ... but not 

impossible. 

She would fall for me ... and the harder the better because I was going to break her heart.

Even if I smashed into a million pieces, it would only be a fraction of the heartache that she’d caused me every single day for the past 10 years.

***GIVEAWAY***

1-Signed paperback book of Remembering Joy (INT)

2-e-books (Kindle, Nook, or Kobo) of Remembering Joy (INT)

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Book Blitz Organized by:

Book Blitz ~ Breaking the Reins by Juliana Haygert - Excerpt + Giveaway

Breaking the Reins

by Juliana Haygert

Release Date: 08/19/13

Summary from Goodreads:

Horses, mansions, tea parties, and lies are twenty-year-old Hannah Taylor’s life. To others, her family and her relationship with Eric is perfect. But she knows the truth. She lives it.

After a fire takes her grandma's life and kills her horse, Hannah's immaculate life spirals out of control. Her father disapproves of her decision to run her grandma’s ranch instead of focusing solely on learning the family business; Animal Control brings her Argus, a mistreated horse that she can't turn away even though she's not ready for another horse; and her boyfriend, Eric Bennett, a world famous polo player, becomes possessive and authoritarian. Despite her best efforts to disguise it, Hannah grows wary of him.

Then, Leonardo Fernandes struts onto the polo scene. A cocky rookie with a messy life of his own, he’s drawn to Hannah and isn’t afraid of showing it, even when Eric makes it clear she is his and he’ll do whatever it takes to keep it that way. Hannah suffers for Eric’s jealousy. The abuse only gets worse when Leo steals the title of best polo player in the world from Eric.

But the title isn’t enough for Leo. He wants Hannah too, and she can’t deny her attraction to him either. Somehow, she must find a way to break free from abusive Eric before he breaks every bone in her body.

**New Adult Contemporary Romance Novel**

Available from:

Praise for Breaking the Reins:</ o:p>

 “Breaking The Reins by Juliana Haygert is a real treasure. It’s a sexy, heartbreaking and romantic ride you won’t want to miss.” —Sawyer Bennett, USA Today Bestselling author of Off Side, Off Limits</ i>, Off the Record, and Off Course.

“A breath of fresh air in the New Adult market. Juliana Haygert’s new contemporary novel is one not to be missed!” —Magan Vernon, international bestselling author of The Only Exception

“A swoonworthy love interest and a fantastic backdrop make Breaking the Reins a New Adult read you don’t want to miss!” —Alyssa Rose Ivy, bestselling author of The Crescent Chronicles, Clayton Falls Series, and The Hazards of Skinny Dipping.

About the Author:

New Adult author and contributor at NA Alley blog.

While Juliana Haygert dreams of being Wonder Woman, Buffy, or a blood elf shadow priest, she settles for the less exciting—but equally gratifying—life of a wife, mother, and author. Thousands of miles away from her former home in Brazil, she now resides in Connecticut and spends her days writing about kick-ass heroines and the heroes who drive them crazy.

Author Links:

    


Excerpt 1:

After greeting Blaire and Andrea, who I wasn’t too close with, we ordered tea as the conversation continued. They talked about shoes and the latest Roberto Cavalli creations. I spoke a bit here and there, though I would have preferred talking about Country Outfitter instead. Suddenly, the subject changed to trips. Carmel, Aspen, Paris, Rome, and other fancy places.

And I was bored.

My gaze drifted from side to side, and I noticed Sandra had left, but I wasn’t really looking for anything.

Until I found him.

The first thought on my mind was, what the heck was he doing here? The second, damn, he looked good. The third, I shouldn’t be thinking that.

Dressed completely inappropriate for a polo club—in jeans, a blue T-shirt, and cowboy boots—Leo walked up the path to the right of the tennis courts, flanked by three guys and a girl. They talked animatedly, smiling and touching each other’s arms or shoulders occasionally. A few feet behind them, a couple holding hands followed. By their similarities, I would bet they were all related.

The girls kept talking and giggling about whatever, but their voices were a buzz in my ears as I strained to catch anything, any word, from Leo and the ones with them. They were too distant, and even the few words I heard were spoken in fast Portuguese.

A few steps from the main house, Leo looked at the courts, following the game closest to him for a couple of seconds, before his gaze continued on. 

Until he found me.

His eyes wide, Leo stopped in his tracks, and the guy behind him bumped into him.

“Hey,” the guy said, taking off his baseball cap and sunglasses. He looked familiar, somehow.

“Why is that guy staring at our table?” Megan asked, giggling.

I averted my eyes and pretended I didn’t know what she was talking about.

“What guy?” Blaire asked, turning in her chair. “Oh, he’s cute. All four of them are.”

“Look at them,” Andrea said. I didn’t, but from her eyes, I noticed they were moving again. “They must be the team playing against the Knight House.”

I knew Eric was going to play against an international team, but in all his dealings with France, it never occurred to me the team could be from somewhere else.

Could it be? Eric playing against Leo? And why did I care? Leo was nobody.

“Oh yeah,” Megan said. “Ohmygosh, I’ve seen one of them here before. He was an exchange player, with a team from Florida.”

Really? So that was why one of them looked familiar. Or it could be because they all looked like each other, and I’d taken my time observing Leo the other day. The urge to peek in his direction was strong, but I avoided it at all costs.

“True,” Blaire said with a big smile. “What’s his name again? Oh, Ricardo Fernandes. He was swoon worthy. I bet he still is.”

The girls giggled, and I forced a smile so they didn’t notice how disturbed I was.

“Maybe we should go welcome them to the club,” Megan suggested, wiggling her eyebrows. Then she patted my hand. “Lucky you. Practically married to a gorgeous man while we have to chase potential dates around here.”

I was lucky, wasn’t I? Eric was handsome, educated, generous, kind, and a great  polo player. He was a little too jealous for my taste, but I reminded myself that was because he loved me so much. What else could I need?

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