#FridayFeature - Cover Reveal - Behind Closed Doors

Fridays are about the what comes about the end of the day.  The signing off, kicking back and relaxing. So Friday Features are about bringing you something, or someone you can enjoy at the weekend (or any other time of the week)

This week I'm bringing you ....  Drum roll  please!

Behind Closed Doors - COVER REVEAL 

 

I've been waffling on about the 2nd book in the Valentina Secrets series for at least six months I think you deserve to see the cover at last! 

Its designed by Stephanie Mooney at mooneydesigns.net

Stephanie designed the cover of Tainted Love, for which I had no real clue what I wanted except I wanted White Roses and a Purple Ribbon and for Behind Closed Doors I had a distinctive image in my mind. This wasn't it but this is so much better than anything I imagined! 

And this weekend, of course you can Tainted Love available from Amazon UK and Amazon US



Erin

Posts You May Have Missed 

Novel Excerpt from Behind Closed Doors - Meet Faith McKenzie's little brother Darryl Hawthorne  

Novel Excerpt from Behind Closed Doors - Meet the new girl Julia Swift  

#FridayFeature - The Family Trap
                           - Dark Promise

#TemptationTuesday - Devine Intervention

It's Tuesday! It's Time for a little Temptation!

This week's work in progress is from my Devine Invention Series. It's from book 3 - Halos At Dawn.

Devine Intervention Series begins with The Guardians of Light, which explains what a Guardian of Light, or Devine Intervention Case Handler does. But essentially, they are the people who come into your life and have a massively positive impact on your life and then they disappear again. Sometimes Guardians, watch over and protect future guardians. Gabrielle is a Guardian of Light. She's been working with on the very complex Alexander-Middleton Case for along time and it's a case that's about to become a whole lot more complicated.

Devine Intervention - Halos At Dawn

“Hey Gee!”

His voice sent shivers along Gabrielle’s spine. She hadn’t realised Kyle was still there. But he leaned over the railings of the ballroom’s upper tier and set her skin alight with his voice again. “Have you got a few minutes?”

It took everything she had to shrug him off with an absentminded wave and return her attention to the excited cheers of the nine other Guardians of Light surrounding her. Congratulating her record breaking fifth successive win of the Case Handler of the Year, and top rank performance this year. She was being considered for one of the most prestigious promotions in the history of Devine Intervention. It was phenomenal.

“Sorry everyone” Gabrielle sighed after a few moments. “Duty calls.” In a flurry of kissed cheeks and congratulatory hugs she pulled away from her colleagues. “I know” She agreed with someone’s whine. She shouldn’t have to go back to work when they were going to celebrate. “But I’m responsible for the conference and means before, during and after. I’ll come meet you all later wherever you are.”

She waved to them as they headed one way out the ballroom and Gabrielle went in the opposite direction. Not sure she wanted to, but grateful for the opportunity to talk to Kyle again. A conversation like this one she would have prepared for. She needed him to go to Daniel and she had no idea what she was going to say to make that happen. But if she was going to salvage her case she needed Kyle and Daniel to kiss and make up and they were running out of time. But Kyle wouldn’t be sweet talked into anything that involved his brother.

Gabrielle crossed Kyle’s crew on the stairs as she made her way up to him and as they began dismantling the equipment Gabrielle suspected Kyle had kicked them out of the makeshift workstation where they’d overseen the entire conference.

“Congratulations Gee” Kyle started off light as though their argument that morning hadn’t happened. She could handle that. “Will you have to leave the family firm if you’re promoted at Devine Intervention?”

Gabrielle wasn’t missing the undertone of his words as Kyle wrapped up wires and placing them in boxes. How would his brother survive without her? “I would.”

“I wanted to say thank you”

“What for?” Gabrielle shrugged. She knew he was referring to her little scolding during the morning interval. She’d taken the blame for his mistake but she no interest in letting it become a big deal.

Kyle tossed a wound cable into a box before his gaze found and locked with hers. “Oh, well if I hadn’t have been here,” Gabrielle shrugged and stayed on safe ground for the start of this conversation “So technically it is my fault. How’s little Ava?”

A mile wide smile burst over his lips and lit up his eyes “Not so little anymore. She fifteen.”

“No way!”

Of course, Gabrielle knew exactly how old Ava was. She was Gabrielle’s client. Trevor had been watching over the Middleton Family for sometime before he brought Gabrielle in to assist. But when Kyle and Daniel had fallen out, Trevor had temporarily taken over Ava case until Gabrielle could get Daniel and Kyle to reconcile. But no matter how hard she tried couldn’t get through to Kyle.

“Yeah” He pulled his wallet from his pocket and opened it “Look at her.” Fatherly pride radiated from Kyle as he stepped forward and offered the picture to her.

Gabrielle stepped closer. Ava was her first Little Angel. A child born with the gift too beyond her imagination passed down from generation to generation. If her gift followed her into adulthood Gabrielle would continue to watch her, protect her, and keep her from those who seek to destroy her spirit and take her off the path fate has set for her. If the gift remained Ava’s destiny was with the Guardians of Light. She’d become an Agent of Devine Intervention, just like Gabrielle.

But right now, Gabrielle had another problem. She had to get Kyle and his brother back on speaking terms before she ran out of time. And Kyle had opened up the window of opportunity with this picture of a very grown up Ava.

Gabrielle hadn’t seen Ava in ten years but her eyes were just like her father’s. They were hazel in colour but shone with speckles of gold like someone had sprinkled starlight into them, they set off her extraordinarily long eye lashes. She wore her midnight black hair in a bouquet of curls over her right shoulder. Her skin was much paler than Kyle’s. Gabrielle could tell already Ava was going to be a heartbreaker just like her mother.

“I bet she’s still Daddy’s little angel isn’t she?”

Gabrielle felt Kyle’s gaze lift from the picture and settle on her face. “She still believes her Aunty Gee-Gee is an angel” Immediately, Gabrielle’s head snapped up, her glare met with Kyle’s watchful gaze. “I’ll never forget that picture she drew of you with a golden circle around you.” She hadn’t realised just how close they were but she felt his breath as gentle against her face as his voice against her ears. “She said you glow.”

Those eyes! Gabrielle swallowed. They were doing it to her again. Pulling her in, absorbing her strength, draining all ability to think of anything except the man who’s lips where millimetres away from hers...

All the moisture evaporated from her mouth. He was too close for comfort, too close for a mortal, too close according to the rules she lived by, too close according to the rules she’d die by. He was too close... Her heart beat kicked up a notch.

She didn’t like this spell he’d cast over her. Her body hummed like she’d been filled to the top with sweet sweet candy. Gabrielle’s tongue traced the edge of her lips as though she could taste the sugar there. She’d never wanted anything. She’d never desired anything. She’d never been tempted by anything. Guardians of Light were immune. But right now Kyle was definitely... something.

“And you are an angel aren’t you?”

Oh yes, yes she was... and she had to remember that.

“Gabrielle”

But the sound of her name on his lips poured goose bumps all over her skin. It sent shivers down her spine and clenched her muscles in places she didn’t know there were muscles. Kyle Alexander was definitely something else.

“You do exactly what my brother asks...” That’s right! Gabrielle tried to push through the fogginess of Kyle’s spell, Focus on Daniel! “...And when he asks you to, you let him have whatever he wants and you never see any of his dark side.”

His mouth brushed over lips as his spoke and stole the air from her lungs. They hovered gently in their barely touching place for what felt like eternity as Gabrielle’s head spun. She reached for Kyle’s forearm to keep her balance and her eyes fluttered closed and the overpowering swirling anticipation inside.

“But you can’t be his angel and kiss me.”

Kyle’s mouth crashed into hers. What the hell? Gabrielle’s eyes flew open at the force of the kiss. The beat of her heart shot far beyond a safe human rhythm as it drummed against her ribcage. Kyle wasn’t supposed to kiss her! He was Daniel’s brother! Gabrielle hand pushed against his arm still firmly in her grasp.

Stop!

Stop it!

Stop it now!

Both hands pushed against Kyle’s chest. Their contact with the firm hard wall of his body zapped her strength. Her waning resistance dew a deep satisfied rumble from his throat and instead of pulling away, Gabrielle yielded. She melted as he wrapped her into his arms and the most pleasurable whirlwind of emotions she’d ever experienced. Her stomach danced, her spine shivered, her arms and legs tingled all over, and her lips came alive.

Then his tongue slipped between her lips and brushed over the tip of her tongue and he sent her to a different stratosphere. The touch tantalised every nerve ending in her body. Her head spun. Gabrielle didn’t think she’d ever touch the ground again. No wonder kissing mortals was punishable by death.

“Revenge” Kyle murmured into her mouth “never tasted so sweet.”

What? Gabrielle’s spirit crashed into the concrete. For a few dazed seconds she had no idea what he was talking about. Then everything started to slip into place. Kyle had set her up. From the moment he thought Daniel was out of the country this was a game to him. She’d made no progress at all. She couldn’t even bring herself to look at him. She didn’t want to see that hatred in his eyes. Betrayal wrapped around her throat. She couldn’t breathe. “You...” She leapt from his arms like he’d burned her. “You...”

“Bastard?” The delight in his tone forced Gabrielle to look at him. She couldn’t believe he would enjoy it that much. But he was. He was actually laughing at her! “I’m going to enjoy seeing my brother for the first time in ten years now.”

He didn’t understand what he’d just done to her. When he told everyone about them, the council would demand a hearing, they’d hand her over to the angel of death. He’d just killed her. And what for? Revenge!

“Don’t look at me like me that, I’m going to take great pleasure in every moment of destroying his world like he did mine.” Damn it! And now she was screwed! He’d fucked her one and only chance at rectifying this mistake and actually closing this case because Daniel would never forgive him.

The hurt began to retreat and her temper began to rise. He had burned her. This was why the latte had scolded her lips yesterday. This was why she’d cut her hand on the smashed glass cup when Guardians we’re unable to get injured. The council were warning her of Kyle’s affect on her. She hadn’t listened.

“Daniel came on to my wife Gabrielle.”

“Don’t make me pull Lucia off her pedestal!” Gabrielle shouted “She was a wonderful woman. She was a fantastic mother and she knew she didn’t have to have a stupid bit of paper to be an amazing wife. But she married you anyway because you wanted her to.”

“You deserve him!” Angry fire lit up his eyes. “You’re both liquid nitrogen to the core.”

“And Lucia slept with your brother, get over it already.”

“I’m really going to enjoy telling him I got the one thing he can’t have.”

“Well you’re five years and one day too late.” Gabrielle cackled and lifted up the bandaged left hand. “I guessed you missed the sparkly jewellery in all the excitement of our reunion yesterday Kyle. When you ignore your brother’s existence for ten years, you miss out when he gets married.”

Kyle held her stare for long time before he narrowed his eyes and clenched his jaw. His temper growing, gaining strength the longer he glared at her until his teeth locked together and he snarled “I wish he was dead.”

The venom hit Gabrielle like a knife in her gut. It took her breath away and forced her eyes closed. He wouldn’t have hurt her more if he had physically punched her. She almost doubled over at the blow. She gasped for air and it took her a moment to recover. When she had Gabrielle lifted her eyes to his and lowered her voice. “Be careful what you wish for, Kyle.”

Erin

Posts You May Have Missed 

#Tuesday Temptation -  Couples Retreat
                                     -  All Night Long

#AskFaith                   - Faith's Perfect Valentine's Day
                                    - Why Would You Stay? 
                                    - What Brings You Joy? 

#FridayFeature          - The Family Trap
                                    - Dark Promise 

#FridayFeature - The Family Trap - Joanne Phillips

Friday's are about the end of the working week. They're about clocking off at the end of the day and knowing its the weekend. So each week I aim to bring a #FridayFeature that showcases a book or an author you can to enjoy at the weekend (or at any other time).

This weeks feature is all about "What's New on Kindle". As you know I love the world of social media and spend most of my life floating around the web for work, study, or play. I find myself invited to many virtual book launches. One this week that particularly sparked my attention was The Family Trap by Joanne Phillips. 

I know Joanne Phillips in passing from a Facebook group we were both members of and I've read Life Unpredicted and Other Stories, which is a great collection of short stories, but what particularly caught my eye about The Family Trap was the premise. What happens when happily ever after doesn't go according to plan?  

Released on Valentine's Day, it and the first in Stella's story are both on my kindle and ready for those elusive reading slots. So without further adieu I give you...

#AskFaith - Faith's Perfect Valentine's Day

A couple of weeks ago I introduced a new regular feature on my blog called "Ask Faith". With so many people connecting with Tainted Love's Faith McKenzie through her story, I wanted to bring you the opportunity to get to know her a little more.

Faith frequently mentions Valentine's Day in her letters to her brother. It's her eldest daughter's birthday so Faith accepts she and Cal will never really celebrate Valentine's Day again but she never tells us if, in all those years they were married, they ever had one perfect Valentin's Day?

"Ask Faith" - Faith's Perfect Valentine's Day

I’ve run around after the little ones all day, they’ve had preschool visits and day care appointments, play days, and ballet recitals and singing classes. I don’t feel like we’ve stopped since we’ve left the house this morning. I’m definitely too old for two young ones where the eldest is just reaching preschool.

Calvin’s in a very strange mood tonight. He called and asked me where we were. When I said we were on our way to Zoe’s ballet recital at the stage school I expected he'd be upset, demand we come home but instead he met us there. He watched Zoe dance and listened to Caitlyn sing. This is the first time Calvin has ever behaved this way with them and so I don’t know how to describe his mood tonight.

He’s been very attentive with Caitlyn and Zoe and I’ve found his adoring father routine too distracting. Dinner has been a mass of broken glass and crockery as he does something new and exciting for them and my entire world just stops. I never thought this day would come. Of course, I’ve prayed for the day he looked up on Kitty-Cat-Caitlyn with the same loving eyes he does Georgia and Caleb, but it’s been almost five years. Five very long years where he pretends she doesn’t exist most of the time. So this day, this Valentine’s Day as he adorns our two youngest daughters with all the love and attention usually reserved for the eldest, is perfect.

Calvin’s strange behavior has extended toward me too. When I sliced my hand with the sharpest knife in the kitchen he didn’t shout or scream at me like I expected. He didn’t call me the most awful names like he usually does. He leaped up from his chair. He ran to my side. He nursed my wound like... well a loving husband would. So now I wonder why I expect the worse from him.

“Silly Mommy” He told the girls as he bandaged up my palm with a towel. They hovered at my feet. The gash was deep, there was a lot a blood and it hurt like hell. The pressure Cal forced on my hand seized at the urge to pull away. I choked passed the lump in my throat. Tears burned the corners of my eyes. But I refused to let the little ones see exactly how badly I was hurt.

“Kitty Cat?”Cal smiled at her. His voice was gentle. So gentle. So reassuring. “Can you take Fireball upstairs to brush your teeth and then we’ll go out for dinner.”

What? Out for dinner? But we never went for dinner with the girls. We went for dinner when they were in bed and the sitter was here. Besides, it was Valentine’s Day. We’d never get a table anywhere without a reservation. I watched Caitlyn and Zoe skip away with excitement. I can't process all this new information.

“It's okay" Calvin whispered "They'll be gone for a good while, you don't have to be brave for them anymore Fay" The tears welled in my eyes as he removed the makeshift dressing from my palm but I... I can't cry... I don't want to spoil this tender moment with tears.“What happened?"

Heat filled my cheeks and my gaze found my hand wrapped so delicately in his figures. At least the blood has stopped oozing from that awful gash. “You were...” I mumbled “and the girls were...” I find I just can’t explain it. It was just magical to watch Calvin doting on his daughters the way he was this evening. “...I love watching you with them.” His smile widened across his cheeks. “What?” He said nothing. He just looked at me with those big absorbing eyes that tell me he’ll never let me go. “What?” He chuckled. “Calvin what is it?”

“Nothing” He grinned “It’s just that we’ve been married twenty years Fay.” I nodded. “I didn’t think I still held the power to turn you to mush for all the right reasons.”

“Oh you do Cal” I chuckled as his lips hovered dangerously close to mine. “You most definitely do.”

Tainted Love - The Faith McKenzie Story is available for kindle and kindle apps at
Amazon US & Amazon UK. 

Erin

Posts You May Have Missed 

#AskFaith - Why Would You Stay 

#AskFaith - What Brings You Joy 

#TemptationTuesday - Couple's Retreat 

#FridayFeature - Dark Promise 

#TemptationTuesday - Couples Retreat

It's Tuesday! It's Time for a little Temptation!

This work in progress is yet to find a name so I affectionately refer to it as "couples retreat".

Poppy and Nick Kinsella are infamously known as "Cupid's Golden Couple". Poppy is radio relationship talk show host and Nick is relationship expert, authoring best selling self help books and appears on many television shows. Between them they run a marriage counseling empire. But after a public tragedy two years ago Poppy and Nick privately opted for a trial separation. Now both have decided time has come to end the separation. Poppy wants a divorce but Nick wants a reconciliation. Neither want to face the tragedy that tore them apart.

Temptation Tuesday

 

“Now you see Nicholas” Poppy hopped around on her seat to face the most infuriating man she’d ever met in her life. “This is why you and I never work together. Where did you get these crack pot ideas from?” She shook her head. “We went to the same college, trained at the same medical facilities, we had the same mentors. Of course people who work away from home are able to maintain a perfectly happy relationship. Why on earth would you think they’re not committed or faithful to one another just because they choose to take a better paid job that mean they sleep away from home?”

“Personal experiences”

Poppy gasped. He had not just publicly admitted their relationship wasn’t working out. Ooh if he wanted to play games with her then she was batting this ball back on to his side of the court. “Do you have something you need to confess Nick?”

“No Babe” He chuckled “nothing to declare” He took her hand. “Sorry, maybe personal was the wrong word.” He raised her fingers and pressed them to his lips for a brief pause. “Professionally speaking, I see it every day. Husband and wife drift apart. Things get prioritised before the marriage. Then suddenly you’re staring into someone else’s eyes and embarking on something you shouldn’t because you’ve not felt that way for a really long time. It’s easy to do at home, even easier when you spend most of your time apart.”

“Then anyone in that situation should back away from temptation.” Poppy said quietly. “They should ask themselves why they have the temptation in the first place. Where their real problem lies? There’s nothing but hurt waiting if they give in to that temptation.”

“And if they’re beyond reasonable behavior?” Nick asked. “Not everything is so black and white, Poppy. Not everyone has the picture perfect marriage like ours. What if they’re drunk?”

“It’s excuse” Poppy shook her head as she snatched her hand away from Nick “If you’re that drunk you can’t give a damn about your wife” She folded her arms over her chest “you physically wouldn’t be able to do it.”

“Oh Babe” Nick laughed “How many times have we-” She glared at him “Point taken.” Nick laughed “What if the marriage seems like it’s already beyond repair?”

“Then leave!” Poppy threw her arms up. “Get counseling. Talk! Don’t cheat! It’s not the answer.”

“What if they’re out for revenge because one partner has already done it the other?”

“That’s despicable!” Poppy gasped “You really have to question the type of person you are and you true feelings if you would punish the person you’re supposed to love.”

“You're not talking like a professional anymore Poppy." Nick condemned her. "So while you're talking like a wife are you saying you didn’t take the radio show in Cincinnati to punish me?” Poppy gasped. Her glare locked with Nick’s. “Are you saying you haven’t spent the last two years avoiding Athens County because of what happened here?” his hand waved between them.

“I will not discuss your affair with your brother’s wife on national television.”

“I'll rephrase that, shall I?” Nick's laughter was barely recognizable through his disgust of the accusation she'd just tossed into the public domain.“You won’t discuss my one night stand before we got married with the woman who my brother was not seeing at the time whom he did later marry. Ever!”

“This was a mistake.” Poppy rose to her feet. “Marrying you was a mistake.” She marched way as she called over her shoulder in a simple elegant voice. “I want a divorce Nick!”

Nick uttered a curse as he leapt to his feet. Why did he go and say that? Now what was he going to do? Damn it! Him, his big mouth, and his determination to aggravate her. Why wasn’t she fighting with him? He saw it! That blaze of anger in her eyes at his words. She snatched her hand back from him and closed up tight. She was controlling it real well. Too well. He’d pushed her too far and she’d quit on him. And now there was only one thing he could do to turn this around from the disaster it had become. She’d hate him for it.

Poppy was half way across the set before he managed to lunge for her wrist. He spun her into his arms in a strategic move that didn’t give her chance to argue or breathe. He simply claimed her mouth with his.

It was like coming home. It was like being given his favorite meal. No it was better! She was his favorite meal. Nothing in the entire world tasted quite like Poppy. Nothing in the entire world felt quite like Poppy. She filled his body with this incredible rush that sung with joy just from feeling her lips against his. He felt how her body sung in response to his too. The perfect duet. She didn't want a divorce. She didn't mean it. She could mean it. Not when there was still so much emotional connection between them.

Reluctantly he let her go, his eyes searched her gazed as she stared at him. She didn't like what she felt for him. She didn't understand it. But still, she felt the power of their love just as strong as he did. "Still want to divorce me Poppy?"

"No” Poppy sighed, rested her palms against his chest, he wasn't sure if she was playing up for the camera if that sultry gaze were really for him. “I’m afraid a divorce won't work on you Mr. Kinsella" She narrowed her eyes at him. "You'd better sleep with one eye open."

Nick chuckled "After a kiss like that I have no intention of sleeping tonight Doctor."

Poppy pushed him away with a gasp. “God!” Her arms shot into the air as she spun on her heels. She marched off set and cried toward the ceiling. “I swear you put that man on this earth to torture me.”

A laugh burst from Nick’s throat as he admired the view walking away from him. What harm would it do if the nation saw him appreciate her behind? Oh crap! The whole world had just witnessed that whole intimate scene. Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! He needed to get his head screwed on properly.

Erin
Posts You May Have Missed 

#TemptationTuesday - All Night Long 

#TemptationTuesday -  Life's A Ball? 

 #AskFaith - Why Would You Stay?