Promo Post: Before the Storm by Leslie Tentler

No Matter How Far You Run, The Past Will Find You

Leslie Tentler is back with another story of romance and suspense…this time in a small Southern beach town called Rarity Cove. What happens when a woman on the run has her dangerous secrets finally catch up with her? Find out in Before the Storm by Leslie Tentler…

Six years earlier, Trina Grissom disappeared, on the run for her life. Now living under an assumed identity—as Samantha Marsh—she still struggles with the dark secret she harbors and the fear she might one day be found. When she moves to the coastal town of Rarity Cove, South Carolina, to open a café, a handsome widower begins to chip away at the walls she’s built to protect herself.

Mark St. Clair lost his wife two years ago in a tragic accident. Head of the grand St. Clair resort, he distracts himself from his lingering grief by running the family business and caring for his troubled young daughter...until a beautiful restaurateur sets up shop in town. Before meeting Samantha, Mark was convinced he could never be drawn to another woman. But as his attraction to Samantha grows, the mystery surrounding her deepens.

As the two begin a hesitant courtship, double perils emerge. Someone from Samantha’s lurid past comes calling, threatening to expose her. And a powerful hurricane is forming in the Atlantic with the small beach town in its path. Trapped in the storm by the brutal man who wants vengeance on Samantha, she and Mark must fight for their lives.

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EXCERPT

The brooding challenge in his voice—the bare hint of harshness—was disconcerting, something Samantha hadn’t expected, despite her recent behavior. Her initial instinct had been right; she shouldn’t have come here.

“I should go,” she said. Despite her scrambled nerves, she forced lightness into her voice. “I just came by to return the money and thank you again. The gift baskets for the shop will be delivered next week—”

“Why not just mail me the check or give it to Mercer?” Mark asked. “You could’ve saved yourself the trip and avoided me altogether.”

Samantha felt a pang. “I-I don’t want to avoid you, Mark.”

He moved closer, his features strained. “Who were you meeting at the Sea King last week?”

A coldness fell over her skin. “You followed me?”

“What did you expect? You came into my office looking like you were about to shatter into a million pieces. Then you give me some lame excuse for needing eight thousand dollars, right away, and you walk back out. I was worried.”

She closed her eyes, embarrassed he’d followed her there. “You had no right.”

“Who were you going there to see?” he pressed. “Did it have to do with why you really needed the money?”

She bowed her head.

“You’re angry with me. I understand, and I don’t blame you.” Holding her purse against her chest, throat tight, she turned for the door. She could only imagine what ideas were running through his head about her. “I’m sorry for the intrusion, Mark. Good night.”

“Sam,” he whispered into the air, still sounding irritated. He spoke louder as she walked out. “Samantha.”

She had nearly reached the Camry when Mark caught up to her. He took hold of her arm and whirled her around to face him, causing her to gasp.  

“I’m not letting you walk out on me again without giving me answers.”

“Please. Just let me go. It doesn’t concern you—”

“Like hell it doesn’t,” he ground out, his jaw hard. His hoarse words washed over her. “I care about you, Samantha. I might even be falling in love with you, if you’d give me half a chance.”

Her heart squeezed at his admission. Staring at him in the graying twilight, the roar of the ocean behind them, Samantha saw sincerity, as well as the pain she’d inflicted, in his eyes. She felt something break loose inside her. She was so tired of running. Of keeping herself closed off from everyone.

“I went to see someone I used to know,” she confessed in a frayed voice. “But he’s gone now. It’s over. He won’t be back.”

“That’s the truth?”

“Yes. Please...don’t ask me anything else.”

Check out other books from Leslie Tentler!

Author Bio

Leslie Tentler is also the author of FALLEN as well as the Chasing Evil Trilogy (MIDNIGHT CALLER, MIDNIGHT FEAR and EDGE OF MIDNIGHT). She was a finalist for Best First Novel at ThrillerFest 2012, and is a two-time finalist for the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery and Suspense. She is also the recipient of the prestigious Maggie Award of Excellence.

Leslie is a member of Romance Writers of America, International Thriller Writers, and Novelists, Inc. A native of East Tennessee, she currently resides in Atlanta.

Connect with Leslie:  Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon

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Blog Tour Book Review: Eclipsing Apollo by Sasha Summers

Eclipsing Apollo 

(Loves of Olympus Series, Bk  #3)

by Sasha Summers

Apollo is fond of many things. Music, poetry, physical prowess, truth, and love. The Pythian Games are in his honor and he attends, as a mere mortal, to enjoy the competition… and the women. Meeting the fair Coronis offers him his greatest delight. Her strength, her fearlessness, and her beauty clasp his heart with an irrevocable hold. But she wants none of him.

Coronis’ duty is to marry, but she yearns for so much more. She is a fierce competitor, a hunter, skilled in strategy and reason. Those that would court her lack both the mind and the body to rival hers - she will settle for no less. As a mortal, Apollo was both infuriating and tempting. But Apollo the Olympian is terrifying. She fears giving him her heart might destroy her soul.

Demeter’s need for revenge pits Olympian against Olympian, forcing Apollo into a darkness the God of Light must fight if he ever hopes to see his Coronis again. 

Available for purchase at 

        

Excerpt

He turned, readying his bow as he’d done a thousand times
before. It was all too easy to miscalculate, to skew his arrow a hairsbreadth
from the mark. He released the arrow, stunned when it hit the target.

The crowd reacted instantly, applause and cheers breaking
the silence.

He looked at Coronis, stunned by the slight smile on her
face. “Why do you smile?”

“Father says there’s never been more than four rounds.”
Her smile grew. “We shall make history.”

He smiled in response. “Winning is no longer important?”

“Winning is everything,” she argued, incredulous. “Surely
you see that?”

In that moment she was not just a woman. No, she was a
competitor. An adversary to respect. He nodded, puzzling over the affect this
woman had upon him.

Once the field was cleared and the targets were place, a
silence fell upon the spectators. He would lead this time. The target was
miniscule, an easy miss…

Coronis scarce waited for his arrow to fly before
releasing hers.

The crowd waited as the judges ran the length of the
field to the targets.

From the corner of his eye he watched her. She stared at
the ground, her hands clasping her bow as she shifted from foot to foot.

When the judges pulled her arrow from the target and held
it high, the crowd erupted with cheers and applause—to be drowned out by
rolling thunder. Rain fell down in torrents, lightning split the sky in quick
succession, sending all in the stands in search of shelter. He would have
followed the others, but she stood, staring up at the sky, smiling. So he
remained at her side.

He would touch her, pull her against him, and hold her.
Instead, he stepped closer and took her hand in his. Only then did she look at
him.

Lightning pierced the sky, striking a great tree at the
edge of the field. He’d scarce heard the crackle and snap of its mighty trunk
before the air around them whistled and the tree began to fall. He did not
think, but pulled her tightly against him, sheltering her with his body. When
the ground shook with the force of the fall, he held her still. Her back was
pressed against his chest, her scent tickling his nose, while his arm cradled
her waist. His hold eased once he knew she was safe, but the feel of her curves
against him was a heady thing. If not for the chill of her wet tunic on his
skin, he would have held her until she forced him to release her.

He swallowed, taking in the tree. If he’d not pulled her
aside, Coronis would be dead—pinned beneath the tree. His chest felt heavy,
weighted by a most crushing pressure. The feel of her, trembling against him,
was the greatest comfort. He drew in a deep breath, running his hands along her
arms. “You are cold,” he murmured, his nose brushing her ear.

She shivered, pulling from his embrace. She glanced at

the tree, the realization of what might have happened clear upon her pale
features. She stared up at him with a face so conflicted he would draw her
close once more. Instead she ran from him, toward the safety of her father’s
house.

I loved Greek and Roman mythology when I was a kid. All of the tragic events that occurred in one's life could be explained by pissing off the wrong God. I have read the previous books in this series and what I liked most was the retelling of famous tragedies and the trials that lead to their legend. This book was no different. The God in question is Apollo and mortal lady love Coronis. This is the third book in the series, which I highly recommend that you read in order; it just flows better that way. While on his way to participate in the Pythian Games (as one does when a tournament is held in your honor), he comes across Coronis, a huntress of the first water and he's capitivated by her beauty and skill and taken aback by her sharp wit and tongue. As you would guess, Greek gods have nothing better to do than to pit one God against the others and to constantly undermine one another. The ending was somewhat what I expected and it left a bad taste in my mouth. 

4 stars!!!!

Loves of Olympus Series

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About the Author

Sasha is part gypsy. Her passions have always been storytelling, Hollywood, history, and travel. It’s no surprise that her books include a little of each. Her first play, ‘Greek Gods and Goddesses’ was written for her Girl Scout troupe. She’s been writing ever since. She loves getting lost in the worlds and characters she creates; even if she frequently forgets to run the dishwasher or wash socks when she’s doing so. Luckily, her four brilliant children and hero-inspiring hubby are super understanding and supportive.

You can stalk, I mean find Sasha here

           

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Release Day Blitz: Shattered by Cynthia Eden

In New York Times bestselling author Cynthia Eden's latest novel featuring the Last Option Search Team (LOST), one agent is forced to face her past as she uncovers secrets about the man who may be the key to her future.

Criminal psychologist Dr. Sarah Jacobs is all too familiar with the kind of bad boys who belong behind bars. But the dark, dangerous man she meets in the New Orleans underworld is a new kind of ruthless, and all too irresistible.

Jax Fontaine doesn't claim to be a good guy, but he's loyal to his own code and brutally honest about what he wants. He and Sarah may be worlds apart, but when they're skin to skin, nothing matters but the heat between them.

And when a deranged killer targets Sarah, Jax will do whatever it takes to keep her safe.

Available for purchase at 

                  

  Excerpt

His blue gaze sharpened on her. “Are you afraid of me?”

“Aren’t most people?” she dodged. Most smart people?

“Yes, but they have a reason to fear me.” His knuckles fell away from her. “You don’t. I wouldn’t ever hurt you.”

Right. Like she was just supposed to take him at his word. Once Jax had been drawn into LOST’s investigation, Sarah had made it a top priority to learn as much about him as she could. Only it turned out that there wasn’t a whole lot to discover. Most of his past was cloaked, little more than rumors and smoke. Sure, she’d seen his criminal record, but that had been all juvie stuff. The guy had been good at covering his tracks once he’d become legal.

He’d been on the streets since he was a teenager. Somehow, he’d clawed his way—quite literally—out of the gutter and become a force to be reckoned with in the area. He owned several businesses and had connections that stretched across the county. And the local police were sure that he was a criminal. They just hadn’t been able to pin any serious crimes on him.

It’s hard because he has money and power. And he’s smart. She could see the intelligence in his eyes. The cunning. He won’t make mistakes easily.

“I love it when your mind starts spinning,” he murmured, his voice a deep rumble. “Tell me, Dr. Jacobs, are you profiling me right now?”

Her hands lifted and she shoved against his chest. He backed up, not because she’d been uber strong and knocked him back, but because … dammit, she suspected he moved for her.

To make her feel in control.

But he likes power.

And, hell, she was profiling him. “I don’t understand the point of this little meeting. Stopping a woman in the elevator is hardly an appropriate pick-up routine—”

He laughed. His laughter actually sounded real. Warm and rough, and it rolled right over her.

“How is anything about us appropriate?” Jax asked. That man’s voice—so deep and rumbly—it was like pure sex. She was pretty sure, like one hundred percent so, that he normally had women tossing their panties at him on sight.

She wasn’t one of those women. Or, rather, she was trying not to be one of those women.

The Lost Series Now Available

LOST Book #1

Available for purchase at

               

LOST Book #2

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About the Author

USA Today Best-selling author Cynthia Eden has written over twenty-five novels and novellas. She was named as a 2013 RITA^® finalist for her paranormal romance, ANGEL IN CHAINS, and, in 2011, Cynthia Eden was a RITA finalist for her romantic suspense, DEADLY FEAR.

Cynthia is a southern girl who loves horror movies, chocolate, and happy endings.  She has always wanted to write (don’t most authors say that?), and particularly enjoys creating stories about monsters–vampires, werewolves, and even the real-life monsters that populate her romantic suspense stories.

Cynthia’s foreign sales for her books include translations to Japan, Germany, Thailand, Greece, and Brazil.

(Back in the day…) Cynthia graduated summa cum laude from the University of South Alabama where she studied Sociology (because people interest her) and Communication (because she likes to write about said people).  Cynthia has worked as a college admissions counselor, a teacher, and as an editor. But now, Cynthia is thrilled to be spending her days making up stories.

You can find Cynthia at 

          

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