Cover Reveal: Passion in Paradise Duo by Sarah O'Rourke

Title: Passion in Paradise Duo

Novels Included: Cain's Salvation & Hard as Stone 

Author: Sarah O'Rourke 

Genre: Erotic Romance Suspense

Release Date: September 22, 2015

In the small, sleepy Southern town of Paradise, not everything is as it seems. Nestled in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains, the tiny country town seems like it would be the perfect spot to raise a family, build a life and enjoy living in what most natives call ‘God’s Country’. What no one seems to realize is that there are secrets hiding in the families of this quaint little community – especially the McKinnon clan. 

And everyone knows, in a family, secrets never stay secret for long.

            

Cain’s Salvation Excerpt

Suddenly Faith was there by his side, her slender hand circling his wrist and tugging frantically. “Cain! Let him go right now!” she ordered, pulling fruitlessly against the manacle-like grip he had on the drunk’s throat. 

His gaze shifted from the asshole to Faith. “He put his hands on you,” he bit out, ruthlessly tightening his hold. “And then, he threatened you again.”

“I’m fine!” she begged, tugging again at his wrist. “The only one in danger here is you if you don’t let him go! He can’t breathe, Cain! Please!”

Flinging the asshole away from him with a twitch of his wrist, he sent the man stumbling backward into the Deputy’s grip, gasping for much needed air. Pointing a finger at the gaping man, he warned, “Come near her again and I’ll end you slowly.”

“Take him down to the station and get him booked,” Zeke ordered harshly to his Deputy before sparing a look toward Cain. It was clear to him that the other man was as likely to attack again as not. “Get him some air, Faith. Get Cain out of here,” he demanded, his voice brooking no arguments.

Faith nodded wordlessly as she slid her body between Cain and where the two Deputies held the straining drunk. Sliding her hands against his tense shoulders, Faith lifted on her tiptoes as she tried to catch Cain’s eyes with hers. “Cain, honey, please!” she whispered. “Let’s just go back to the office. Zeke and his boys will get rid of this guy, and Abel will look after Patience. Won’t you, Abel?” she said with a quick look at where his brother stood watching.

“You know I will,” Abel agreed quickly.

“Patience can take care of herself,” Faith’s sister called out as she came out from behind the bar. “Zeke, what the hell are you waiting for? Get that asshole the hell out of my bar!” she ordered imperiously, gesturing wildly toward the door. “He’s ruinin’ the vibe in here. Messing with my Zen and everything.”

“Sweet Christ,” Abel moaned, running a hand down his face before moving to intercept the tiny tornado headed toward them.

“See,” Faith said gently, rubbing one hand against Cain’s hard chest. “It’s all under control. Patience is gonna kick everybody’s ass for us. We don’t need to stick around for that. We can see that show anytime.”

Finally forcing himself to focus on Faith’s face, he saw worry swirling in the azure depths of her gaze. “You know they called me the Soul Reaper in Afghanistan for a reason,” he kept his voice low, but he stared deeply into her eyes.

“I’m not afraid of you,” Faith assured him serenely. “I’m afraid for you right now.  C’mon, Cain. This is your chance. You said whenever I was ready to talk, you’d be ready to listen. Let’s just get out of here and let the good deputies of Paradise do their jobs,” she murmured, urging him toward door on the other side of the bar. “That guy isn’t our problem anymore.”

Cain disagreed. That bastard still felt very much like his problem, but with Faith touching him and staring so openly up at him, he couldn’t resist giving her what she wanted. Nodding, he grabbed her hand in his and stomped toward the door to the adjoining dining room, hauling her with him.

 

Hard as Stone

Stepping between her spread legs, Jake held her squirming body still as he fought not to laugh at her theatrics. “Calm down and settle,” he ordered against her temple, holding her firmly against him.

“I could have gotten on board with the pink carpet. I might even have been able to wrap my mind around a puppy. Maybe!” she railed, smacking his arm as she spat each sentence. “But dropping the bomb that you want me and my daughter to move in with you just takes the cake!” Jerking her gaze to him as she heard a low chuckle escape his mouth, she shook her head furiously. “Are you laughin’ at me? Trust me, I don’t find any of this funny, Jake!”

“I’m not laughin’ at you, darlin’. I’m just a little amused at our situation. See, I thought I’d been real clear from the outset about what I wanted. Are you honestly gonna tell me that this is a surprise, babe?” he asked, capturing her frantic eyes with his and holding them. “Look me in the eye and tell me that you didn’t realize that I was in this for the long haul. I told you weeks ago that I was staying in Paradise because of you, Harmony. And in the last month, I’ve gotten as wrapped up in Heaven as I am in her momma. Where the fuck did you think this was going?”

“I don’t know!” Harmony exploded in a burst of temper. Seriously, this is not the conversation she’d seen happening tonight. “Tonight, I’d hoped that it was leading to the bedroom, but I hadn’t thought too far beyond that.” Really, she’d just finally worked up the courage to get intimate with a man again after years of celibacy, and now he wanted more?

“Oh, the bedroom is definitely our destination for the evening, sweetheart,” he agreed with a slow, wicked grin. “But a night stolen here and there isn’t gonna satisfy me, Harmony. I’m a selfish bastard. I want everything you’ve got to give me. Your beautiful body is only part of that. Oh, it’s a gorgeous part, but I want the heart and mind, too. ”

“Jesus, Jake,” Harmony muttered weakly, her head falling against his shoulder as she sagged against him. “It’s all or nothing with you, isn’t it?”

“Told ya, baby. I’m a selfish bastard,” he whispered, wrapping his arms around her. “The good news is that I’m your selfish bastard. Yours and Heaven’s. And I’ll do whatever I need to do to keep you both safe and protected and to make sure you never doubt that you’re both loved and wanted.”

“I don’t know anything about you,” she whispered into his neck as her heart did a tap dance in her chest. What Zeke had said earlier in the day resonated in her brain. None of them really knew anything about Jake. She didn’t know if he’d ever been married or if he had any allergies or if he slept on the right or left side of the bed, for God’s sake. How the hell could she even consider living with a man she knew next to nothing about? How could that ever work between them?

He tilted his head for a second, then said, “No, I’ve never been married, I don’t have any allergies that I know about, and I sleep on whichever side is closest to the door.”

Closing her eyes, Harmony grimaced and burrowed her face against the space between his neck and shoulder. His familiar woodsy scent mixed with sweat and man comforted her, relaxing a little of the tension that hand taken up residence in her back. “I said all that out loud?” she asked in a tiny voice.

“You did,” he acknowledged against her ear. “And to answer your last question, this thing will work between us because I refuse to accept otherwise. We’ll find our way a day at a time, darlin’, but we will find it.”

Sarah O'Rourke is the alter ego of two best friends who have taken their passion for romantic fiction and erotica to the publishing world. Born and raised in the southern United States, one lives near Louisville, KY, while the other resides in Atlanta, Georgia. Neither is ever very far from a tall glass of sweet iced tea, their dog-eared copies of Gone With the Wind, or their Steel Magnolias DVDs!

Formerly an accountant and a chemist, they are now overworked, stay-at-home moms who adore their children, their husbands...and writing about love in every way possible!

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Cover Reveal - Coming Home Texas by Laura Harner

Title: Coming Home Texas 

Author: Laura Harner

Genre: M/M Romance

Release Date: September 24, 2015

You know what they say—you can’t go home again—and Brandon Masters doesn’t want to. But when he gets a call that his father is down hard with a broken leg, he puts his thriving real estate business, his fiancé, and his life on hold and returns to his small town roots in Goldview, Texas, temporarily picking up the reins of the world he left behind. A dozen years gone should be long enough to erase the pain and humiliation he suffered when the town’s bad boy broke his naive teenaged heart.

Twelve years ago, Joe Martinez was left standing in the dust, his heart in his hand and his future on the line when the blond-haired, blue-eyed boy from the right side of the tracks left town without a backward glance. Or so he thought. Since then, he’s rebuilt himself from the boots up, to earn the respect of the community his father shamed.

When the now-Sheriff Martinez discovers Brandon has returned long enough to help his father recover, he realizes he’s been handed the perfect opportunity to get the answers he needs to move on—and maybe seek a little payback for pain and suffering. But businessman-Brandon has learned a thing or two about protecting his heart—and breaking down those walls may not be as easy as it appears. Irresistible force—meet immovable object.

Chapter 1 - Coming Home Texas

+Laura Harner  - Subject to change

“Well, dammit all to hell and Goldview, Texas, anyway,” Brandon Masters whispered under his breath. Not that there was anyone around to hear him, even if he’d shouted to the high heavens. He looked up and down the lonely stretch of highway. So close and yet so far, with nothing but his dead cell phone to keep him company. The way he saw the situation…he could suck it up and walk to town—or, he could wait around for the carrion feeders to discover his dried up, shriveled carcass at the side of the road. Ick.

Dead in a place he never thought he’d be visiting again voluntarily.

Other than forgetting his car charger, his other regret at the moment was driving his old pickup back to town instead of his BMW convertible. That had been a stupid, sentimental decision—Old Blue had taken his sorry ass out of town nearly a dozen years ago, and Brandon thought it fitting that she should bring him back. Of course his new Beamer came with roadside assistance, so he’d let his auto club membership expire. That worked out well. Not.

Since he’d gotten the call from Isabella—the closest thing to a mother that he’d known since his own mom died when he was nine—Brandon seemed to be stuck on a never ending sentimental highway. Once he decided he needed to come back, the memories he thought he buried long ago wouldn’t leave him alone.

Thoughts of Joe Martinez won’t leave me alone.

Reliving the humiliation of the night he left didn’t help. Neither did reminding himself that Joe and Sara Lynn had done him a favor.

If he had stayed around Goldview, he’d probably be selling used cars, maybe living in a trailer somewhere. Or stuck living at home on his dad’s ranch. Or dead because he’d been stupid enough to give himself to Joe that summer by the lake, and condoms hadn’t been on their list of priorities in the heat of the moment. Given what he’d learned about Joe later, Brandon had been damned lucky he hadn’t caught anything.

Nowadays, Brandon was thankful for his quiet life in San Diego. He had a successful career and a business, a nice house, and could afford the toys he wanted, like his Beamer and his sailboat. He didn’t have to depend on anyone else for his happiness—and he liked it that way.

Well, there was Ellis, but he tried not to depend on his fiancé, even though they were business partners, too. He’d learned the hard way, depending on other people meant letting down his guard to heartache and disappointment. Brandon hadn’t been disappointed in more than a decade…not since he’d left Goldview.

With a frustrated sigh, Brandon reached behind the seat, opened his toolbox, and pulled out a wrench. He kicked at the dust on the side of the road as he walked to the front and lifted the hood. Hot steam billowed out to dampen his hair, and he swiped his brow. Between the steam and the sun, he felt like he was in hell. He’d forgotten how hot it could be in Texas.

Once the steam cleared, he climbed on the bumper to lean underneath and took a good look. Well, damn…a hose had busted. With the sun baking his back, Brandon twisted and tried to get leverage on the nut of the hose clamp. Shifting his boots on the bumper, he grunted and pushed down on the wrench, but it slipped and he rapped his knuckles. He stopped to breathe a second, getting a nose full of the scent of burnt oil.

It was on him to fix this, he thought, as he leaned back in for another try. Out here in the boonies, help wasn’t likely to come anytime soon. Once he got the busted hose off, the walk back to town for a replacement was five miles. The walk to his dad’s ranch was just about the same distance. Before he got to either location, he’d probably fry like an egg. If he was going to help his dad, he needed to help himself first.

With a growl of determination, Brandon leaned a little deeper into the engine compartment, aligned the wrench again and grunted as he twisted. It budged a little and gave him hope that maybe he could get the darned thing off.

Brandon didn’t want to be in Goldview, Texas. But if Isabella hadn’t waited so damned long to call about his dad’s accident, he could have been here—and possibly gone—sooner. Of course, the old man probably forbade their longtime housekeeper from calling. Carl Masters needed to know that a broken hip and femur weren’t anything to mess around with, and neither was a green horse. Brandon planned on telling him that when he got to the Vida Nueva Ranch.

If he got there, he corrected, as he twisted the wrench again.

No luck. The damned thing was frozen in place by rust.

One thing he wasn’t going to do when he got to the ranch was take over the reins and run the place forever. He could help for a bit while his dad was down, but then he was getting the hell back to San Diego where he belonged. Years ago, he’d shot his dad down when he’d tried to talk Brandon into coming home permanently so he could take over someday—when Carl retired. Brandon had been clear then and he hadn’t changed his mind. Even as much as he missed seeing his family on a daily basis, his life was in San Diego now.

Carl’s accident did drive home a point, though. It was time for his dad to retire. That meant selling the ranch, and having Carl move in with him and Ellis in San Diego. Which Brandon probably should mention to his fiancé before he gave the news to his dad. Well, it was going to take a lot of convincing, anyway. Carl Masters had been riding since before he could walk—but it was time to get out of the saddle when a horse could throw a man like that.

When they’d talked at Christmastime, he’d basically told his dad it was getting close to the time to retire, but Carl was as stubborn as the old mule they’d had when Brandon was a kid. He’d said the only way he was leaving the ranch was feet first, and even then he wasn’t leaving, just waiting to be buried. That meant Carl would balk at the idea of coming to California for rehab. Which might mean Brandon was here for the duration. Because until Carl got back on his feet, Brandon was going to be helping Hep run the ranch.

If there could be a bright side, maybe this accident would teach Carl a lesson and knock some common sense into that hard head—this could be the perfect time to try to get him to at least agree to hang up his spurs and sell the ranch—maybe move to a smaller place in Goldview instead out here in the boonies.

Brandon shook his head as if to clear out the dust. Putting all his weight behind the wrench, he gave it one more forceful twist. The rusty clamp broke, and a burst of hot steam hit him solidly in the face. Brandon jerked back, whacked his head on the hood and cursed. He dropped the wrench, his boot heel slipped on the bumper, and he started waving his arms to regain his balance, even as he felt himself falling backward into empty air.

****

Given the demands of his job, Joe didn’t really have the time, but he needed to check on Carl Masters. The old man had an accident nearly a month ago, and had been in the hospital—but now he was home and laid up and it was the neighborly thing to do. Carl didn’t have much help at the ranch, and his only child was in San Diego. The only permanent help to run the place was Hep, his ranch manager, who was as old as Carl and twice as stubborn—which said a helluva lot.

They had a few hands at the Vida Nueva, but not nearly enough for the amount of cattle they were running these days. Joe never could figure out why Carl still insisted on keeping the ranch running at near capacity. As far as he knew, Carl wasn’t hurting for money. If he was planning to create a legacy for his son, he was wasting his time. The old man had to realize that Brandon wasn’t coming back.

Not after eleven years, ten months and two days. Joe knew because he would never forget the day Brandon left without so much as a goodbye.

Joe put his foot on the accelerator to speed down Wayfair to Big Sandy Bend Road. The faster he got to the Vida Nueva, the sooner he could get back to town—he was behind on things at the station, too. Halfway down the road, a twenty-year-old pickup with a fresh steel blue paint job caught his attention—the model so much like Brandon’s old truck it was almost like a slap in the face. Joe slowed as he got closer and looked inside the cab for the driver. The hood was up, which usually signaled car trouble, but he didn’t see anyone. He eased back on the gas, and checked in his rearview as he passed by, thinking he’d probably have to stop on his way back if the truck was still there.

When a pair of illegally long legs in skintight designer jeans appeared in the rearview mirror, Joe jerked the wheel to the right and looked again. Someone was bent under the hood of the old truck—nothing but legs and ass on display to the world as she appeared to be struggling with something under the hood. Joe made a quick U-turn and pulled in front of the truck.

Just as he exited the police SUV, steam billowed from under the truck’s hood and the woman reared back and hit her head on the hood with a thunk. Her well-worn boots skidded on the bumper, and Joe took off running. Shoulder-length blond hair swirling and arms flailing as she went backward, Joe dove forward and caught her back against his chest. He teetered for half a breath before momentum and gravity combined forces to knock him flat on his ass, the squirming motorist in his arms. Oh shit—not a woman.

Joe immediately knew why that truck on this road was familiar. His pulse thumped in his throat as the still-so-familiar body pressed against his. Joe pushed himself backward to clamber out from underneath the unwelcome shock, rose to his full height, squinting through his dark glasses as if this might be some kind of heat-induced hallucination.

Still looking down as he dusted off his clothes, Brandon hadn’t realized what happened. “Thanks, I owe you—”

“Brandon Masters,” Joe said.

The other man’s head jerked up, and for a moment, Brandon looked as shocked as Joe felt, but he recovered quicker. His mouth quirked up in a smug smile as he brazenly raked him with those indigo blue eyes. “Well, well, Joe Martinez. The last person I wanted to see my first day back in town.” He looked him over once more then said, “Huh. Nice uniform.” With a roll of his eyes, he turned back to his truck, climbed up on the bumper again then leaned under the hood.

In those rhinestone studded jeans and skin-tight blue silk shirt, Brandon Masters was dressed more for a nightclub than a dirt road in the middle of Bumfuck, Texas. He was sweaty, dirty, and grease-streaked—and still sexy as hell. Good enough to eat. Even better than he had looked at eighteen when he left town. Joe shifted his stance as his khaki pants got a little tighter. It seemed this particular man would always have that effect on him, and it irritated the hell out of him.

Even the grunts he made as he struggled under the hood were sexy. After a minute, Brandon jumped down off the bumper, holding the hose up like a prize. His wide smile didn’t help the situation. Joe let his gaze take a journey down his slim, sweat-slick throat, across surprisingly defined chest, then down to his narrow hips and the long legs before he stopped at the scuffed up cowboy boots. He took his time on the visual field trip until he met the cool blue eyes and he swallowed hard.

“I thought you were a woman.” Joe’s voice came out an accusation.

Something Joe couldn’t identify sparked in Brandon’s eyes. Hatred? Regret? He couldn’t tell. “You wish, asshole,” he clipped.

Brandon spun on his heel and stomped to the cab of the truck, his hips swinging in a way that made all the spit in Joe’s mouth dry up. Reaching inside, Brandon jerked out a large backpack and slung it over his shoulder. Without another glance at Joe, he headed up the road toward Goldview, his hips swinging, taunting Joe, with each long, loose stride.

I live on waterfront property in Arizona because I've always wanted to be an oxymoron. I once enjoyed hobbies such as gardening and travel--now the characters my head compel me to tell their stories, so I write. (It doesn't actually help quiet the voices--but it keeps the folks in the white jackets at bay.)

I love to tell stories of people who find themselves in unusual situations (attracted to a best friend, in a haunted house, kidnapped for his own good, etc.) and then have to find way to push through whatever it is holding them back from finding love. I'm a big believer that love comes in many flavors, so among my titles you'll find MF, MM, and multiple partners of various combinations. In other words, love outside the lines. Suspense included, no extra charge.

My home is filled with an ever-revolving cast of characters--some of whom are actually real--and outside of writing and watching my Diamondbacks baseball, I am building my own version of the Willow Springs Ranch to turn into a writer's retreat.

With over fifty published novels and novellas, I'm rapidly approaching a half million books sold! I want to thank each and every reader who's taken a chance on one of my books--that makes you family.

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@ScarlettMetal Cover Reveal

COVER REVEAL

BEAUTIFUL SCARS

SUNNY AND 75 SERIES, BOOK 2

SCARLETT METAL

Cover by:  Redbird
Designs

Add on Goodreads

  

SYNOPSIS

Julia
had learned quickly that nothing in life ever goes as planned.  Despite the pain she's experienced in her
life, she's ready to move on.  Will she
ever find the love she so desperately craves?

Aiden
is finally ready to face his demons.  He
heads back to Chicago but he gets more than he bargained for.  Can he ever escape the past and be happy?

 Excerpt

“I’m so sorry for your

loss.”

 I plastered a smile on my face and shook the

hand of the person in front of me. “Thank you.” She let go of my hand and

scurried off to a group nearby. I had no idea who she was or how she knew my

father. I didn’t care. I was just grateful she didn’t go on and on about what a

great man my father was. I hated pretending he was a great man and a great He

played the part perfectly - the widower raising a daughter all on his own and

building a successful business.

I glanced over at my

father lying in the casket trying to feel something - some sort of shred of

sadness, but I couldn’t. It bothered me that I didn’t mourn his loss at all.

Maybe I was really his daughter, turning into a cold-hearted human being just

like him. Hell, he’d probably be proud. I found myself fighting back a giggle

at the thought and felt a hand at the small of my back. I turned around to find

Patrick standing behind me.

 “Are you okay, Julia?” He leaned in, his

eyebrows furrowed. I clenched my hands in frustration at my sides and took a

deep breath. “I’m fine and I wish you would leave me alone,” I whispered.

“You need me right

now,” he said firmly. I wasn’t sure who he thought he was trying to convince.

If anything, I needed to be as far away from him as I could get. That was the

whole reason I left Chicago in the first place. I was about to argue with him

when some of my father’s clients came up to us. I narrowed my eyes at Patrick

as if to tell him this conversation wasn’t finished. I almost threw up with the

way he schmoozed the gentleman. My father had groomed him well to be his

successor.

 “He’s like a mini version of your father,” my

best friend Sophia muttered. “I know.” I shuddered. “To think I almost married

him.”

 “Yeah, you dodged a bullet there.”

We watched him shake

hands and talk to the group of men as if they were at a country club and not

standing over the casket of a dead man.

 “So, have you heard from Aiden?” She asked,

putting her arm through mine as we walked to the ladies room. I was tired from

standing in one spot most of the evening and it felt good to stretch my legs.

“Why would I?” I swallowed back the tears that threatened to flow.

“It’s not like he had

my number or anything. I left before he even had a chance to ask.” Sophia

nodded and tucked a lock of blonde hair behind her ear. “There are ways for him

to find you if he really wanted to.” She put an arm around my waist and hugged

me close.

She was right but I

didn’t want to think about it. I knew we were keeping it casual but he said he

loved me. If he loved me, why did he let it end this way?

Read Book One

Sunny and 75

SYNOPSIS

Julia
had the perfect life...or so she thought. On the eve of her wedding, her world
came crashing down on her. She escaped it all, heading out on the trip that was
planned as a celebration.



Aiden was living the dream, working as the head bartender at a resort on Punta
Cana. Every day, he fights the demons of his past, even in the midst of
paradise.



He comes to Julia's rescue one night and after numerous run in, start spending
time together. Things get physical quickly, but is there more to their
relationship? What happens when Julia has to head back to reality? Will Aiden
join her or is he unable to get past the memories back home?

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AUTHOR BIO 

Scarlett
lives in the Midwest with her sexy husband, two girls, and three furbabies. She
dabbled in writing right after college but it wasn't until she took up blogging
about eight years ago that she started writing seriously. After writing a few
boring service pieces for some online publications, she went back to her true
passion, fiction. When she's not busy writing steamy stories, she can be found
with her nose in a book, camping, or geocaching with her family. She loves Diet
Coke, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, and 80's hair bands.

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