Deceiving Bella by Cate Beauman

Ethan Cooke Security and their bodyguard team return to action in Deceiving Bella – book eleven in Cate Beauman’s Bodyguards of L.A. County series.

With over 7700 reviews and a 4.4 rating for the entire series, see why the Bodyguards of L.A. County is a multi-award winning series.

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New to the series? No problem! Each book in the “Bodyguards” series is a stand-alone title. Although reading the books in order is preferred, it is not necessary.  Each title features brand new primary characters and limited overlapping secondary characters.  Don’t hesitate to jump right in!

Isabella Colby has always yearned for normalcy. Now that she’s settled in LA, she finally has it. Good friends, a pretty home, and her thriving career as the Palisades’ top skincare specialist are a dream come true. Bella is content until she meets her hunky new neighbor, but her attraction to the blue-eyed cutie is the least of her worries when contacting her long-lost father threatens to destroy her happy life.

Reed McKinley is more than ready to forget the past. His seven-year stint as an NYPD detective nearly got him killed. His wounds have healed and he’s starting over as Ethan Cooke Security’s latest recruit. With sixty-hour workweeks and little time to himself, the last thing on his mind is a relationship. Then he bumps into the gorgeous woman next door.

Reed and Bella become fast friends. Before long, Reed discovers that Bella is keeping dangerous secrets. Bella may have the answers to decades-old questions he’s been searching for. Reed will risk it all to uncover the truth, but he soon realizes that the deeper he digs, the direr the consequences.

The Inspiration Behind Deceiving Bella:

I must admit that one of my most favorite parts of the writing process is figuring out who my characters are going to be. Typically, I have vague ideas but as I start the storytelling process, my heroes and heroines evolve and grow until I can visualize them as living, breathing people. I always begin with character sketches, giving each central figure in the story a life that starts with their birth and takes them to the present day. It’s vital to know who they are and how they tick (the experiences that make them exactly who they are when my readers meet them). For Deceiving Bella, I thought it would be fun to share an adventure where the hero and heroine have absolutely nothing in common (or so it seems). Despite Reed and Bella’s differences, they make a great team. I hope you enjoy their story.

Interview with romantic suspense author Cate Beauman

Where are you from?
Currently, I’m from North Carolina. My family and I have lived just outside of Raleigh for about three years now. We love it here. The weather is wonderful and everyone we meet is so nice. 

Tell us your latest news?
I’m excited to share the launch of Deceiving Bella, the latest novel in the Bodyguards of L.A. County series. Deceiving Bella is quite the adventure. Reed and Bella are wonderful characters that can’t wait to welcome you into their story world. I had so much fun with these characters. They make a great team. I found myself rooting for them from the very beginning. I hope you will too. 

When and why did you begin writing?
I started writing about six years ago. I was never one of those people who yearned to tell stories from a young age. I didn’t even know I could write until fate showed me a new path. In 2010, my family and I relocated to Tennessee for my husband’s career. I ended up taking a job that made me very unhappy. After a few weeks of coming home in tears everyday, I resigned. While I was reading in bed one evening, I had an epiphany. I turned to my husband and told him I was going to write novels. I think he thought I had lost my mind, but he supported my dreams regardless. I wrote my first three novels all while learning the craft. In 2012, I launched the first three novels in the Bodyguards series. To my surprise, they went bestseller that very first weekend. I’ve never looked back. 

When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I’m still not comfortable calling myself a writer. I still find it fascinating that I know how to sit down at my computer and tell a story. I’m not quite sure where the gift came from, and I don’t often like to explore it. I just feel lucky that I get to do what I love each and every day.

What inspired you to write your first book?
I’m not quite sure where the inspiration came from to write Morgan’s Hunter. I just remember being so thrilled to sit down and put my thoughts onto a page and bring a loose plot idea to life. Nothing will ever compare to telling the first story. Luckily, the awe never seems to go away.

What would you like my readers to know?
I’m currently researching and planning my next novel and first standalone title, Secrets Hidden In The Glass. I’ve wanted to share this story for quite some time now. I don’t have a lot of details as this idea is still in its infancy stage, but I’m looking forward to diving right in and getting this next novel ready to share. 

Did you enjoy the excerpt?  You can read the first chapter on my website, www.catebeauman.com, or you can finish the whole book with the links below!

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About the author:

International bestselling author Cate Beauman is known for her full-length, action-packed romantic suspense series, The Bodyguards of L.A. County. Her novels have been nominated for the National Excellence in Romance Fiction Award, National Indie Excellence Award, Golden Quill Award, Writers Touch Award, and have been named Readers Favorite Five Star books. In 2015, JUSTICE FOR ABBY was selected as the Readers' Favorite International Book Award Gold Medalist, while SAVING SOPHIE took the Silver Medal. SAVING SOPHIE was also selected as the 2015 Readers Crown Award winner for Romantic Suspense and FALLING FOR SARAH received the silver medal for the 2014 Readers' Favorite Awards.

Cate makes her home in North Carolina with her husband, two boys, and their St. Bernards, Bear and Jack. Currently Cate is working on her twelfth full length romantic suspense novel.

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Mafia Princess by Bella J

Title: Mafia Princess

Author: Bella J

Release Date: December 6th

Cover by: Lee Ching of Under Cover Designs

Rules. I’m starting to think I have the natural talent to break them. I hate rules. Always have. Especially since I had them shoved in my face my entire life.

I didn’t ask to be a part of all this. I didn’t ask to be a Valenti.  And I sure as hell didn’t ask to be bound by all their goddamn rules. Their rules are exactly that. Theirs. Not mine.

It’s been years since I broke one of my family’s most cardinal laws. It was a mistake, I know that now. But that’s the thing about mistakes, you never know you’re about to make one until it’s too late.

Unfortunately every transgression, every wrong decision has a way to demand atonement. No matter if it’s hours, days or years after. You might think your indiscretions are long forgotten and buried, but it’s not. You’ll never be free of it, not until you’ve paid in full.

I’m still waiting for my past mistakes to exact payment. It’ll come. I know it will. 

But now, while I’m sitting in the interrogation room staring at the sinfully gorgeous Detective Lorik Stone, I can’t help but think about all my family rules…

…and that I’m about to break another one.

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Bella J lives in Cape Town, South Africa with her husband and two kids. Her love for writing started in eighth grade when she received her first writing assignment--which she flunked. But the positive side of her failure--her newly found passion for writing. The negative side--now she's completely spaced out half of the time living in her little pretend world of romance, love, & insanely hot heroes.

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Blame It On The Shame Part 2 by Ashley Jade

Title : Blame It On The Shame Part 2 

Author : Ashley Jade 

"Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned."

I've fallen in love with Lou-Lou.

And I'll stop at nothing to keep her away from you.

But there's one thing I never counted on...

The moment when our 'truths' would turn into lies.

I thought Bruno DeLuca was our biggest threat.

I was wrong.

Because the fire burning between us—would end up destroying us. 

And killing me. 

***

People think love conquers all.

What they don't know is that for some of us...it comes at a price.

The ultimate price.

Sometimes, love can end up wrecking you—instead of saving you.

Sometimes, love can quickly turn to hate.

And sometimes...even after you've killed your demons—there's still one more that comes to the surface.

"There are two sides to every story...this is ours." 

Warning: Due to strong language, some violence, explicit sexual content, and some dark elements, this book is not intended for readers under the age of 18.

*Trigger Warning*: Any readers with sensitivity to dark reads should proceed with caution and at their own risk.

You've been warned.

Author's Note: This is part two of a three-book series. (Blame It on the Shame: Lou-Lou and Ricardo's story.)
However, in order to truly enjoy Lou-Lou and Ricardo's story, it is advised you read 'Blame It on the Pain' first as this story will follow the same timeline.

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I don't know where he is...but I know he's close. I open my eyes and blink rapidly due to the rain coming down much harder now.

Tingles erupt on my skin and the air thickens when I look ahead and see the outline of him walking. Only he's not walking toward me, he's walking away from me. He must have just left.

When he takes another step, I realize he's not actually walking at all...he's stumbling.

He holds his arm out, bracing himself against the alley wall briefly and I continue to watch him. He waits a beat and attempts to walk again, but stumbles...even worse this time.

I've never seen Ricardo so out of sorts before. Panic jams in my chest with my next thought. Oh, god. What if he's hurt? What if someone attacked him?

And just like that, I'm running as fast as I can to get to him. Since he's less than a block away, I catch up quickly.

His back is turned to me but I reach for his arm as he begins to sway.

His arm twitches and I can feel the chords of his muscles begin to tighten.

Shit, he's going to take a swing. He hates being touched.

“It's just me,” I say quickly. “Only me.”

“I know it's you.” His voice comes out slurred and gruff.

“Are you okay?”

He yanks his arm away. “I'm fine. Leave me the fuck alone. I don't need your help.”

I force myself to ignore the sharp sting of his words before slowly backing away from him.

He falls against the alley wall and hangs his head. “Christ, I hate it when Tyrone's right. I'm never drinking again.”

“Famous last words,” I say before I can stop myself.

Memories of the day we first met and when he said those very same words to me begin to play through my head like a slideshow...

At least, until his head snaps up and he shoots me a look so threatening the entire world stops. “Fuck you,” he spews. 

I'm a lover of psychology, romance, erotica, dark romance, dark erotica, and anything thought provoking...except for math. I've always read books growing up, and after having a strange dream one night; I decided to just go for it and publish my first series. 

Little did I know, I would end up falling head over heels in love with writing. 

If I'm not researching, paying off student loan debt, or writing a novel- you can usually find me watching my favorite series on Netflix, stealing my man’s t-shirts, or pondering the meaning of life. 

Check my page for future novels.

Also, feel free to start a discussion board/or leave a review if you're so inclined. 

I value and appreciate all my fans reviews, thoughts, and discussions, as well as their time. Each and every single one of you are important to me. 

Thanks for believing in me and giving me a shot. It has meant more to me than you'll ever know. 

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All Signs Lead Back to You by Aniesha Brahma

About the Book

2013.
As the final bell for the day rang on their last day in school, Diya Rai, had a chill run down her spine. The chill of not knowing what the future holds for her and her high school sweetheart, Ashwin Chowdhury.
So she does a preemptive strike.
She dumps him before he can hurt her.

2015.
Two years later, Ashwin and Diya, cross paths. Each holds grudges, feelings and only one half of the story that completes them.
Told from alternating points of view, through a non-linear timeline, this is the story about
first love, second chances and ALL the SIGNS THAT LEAD BACK TO YOU.

Meet the Characters

Diya Rai – is the protagonist of the story whose actions have always had terrible consequences for those around her. Diya is self-absorbed and never chooses anyone else over her own self. Diya’s troubled past keeps her from letting people into her life. Even though she’s hurt Ashwin she wants him back in her life years later.

Ashwin Chowdhury – is her best friend in school and later on, boyfriend. He is left heartbroken by Diya but when their paths cross later on, he realises he doesn’t want anything to do with her. He lives with his mother and elder brother and hails from a upper middle-class family background.

Nina Gonzales – is Diya’s best friend in college. She and Diya had met during their admissions and had become fast friends with one another. Nina and Ashwin end up competing with one another to see who is really Diya’s best friend!

Rishabh – is the quintessential hot, rich guy that Diya dates in college. He seems to be in love with her, but Diya doesn’t seem to return the same affection towards him. Nina hates his guts.


Trina – is the girl Ashwin is interested in. She goes to the same college as Diya and Nina, and while Diya dislikes her mostly because Ashwin seems to be interested in her, Nina is indifferent to her.

About the Author

Aniesha Brahma is an author who realized her passion for writing at the tender age of six. She also happens to be the social media manager for BEE Books. Her debut novel, The Secret Proposal (2012) was published by General Press and was followed by When Our Worlds Collide (2015) by the same. She blogs at: www.anieshabrahma.com and runs an online magazine, BUZZ Magazine. She can be contacted at: aniesha.brahma@gmail.com. She lives in Kolkata with her family and her five super adorable cats! 
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The Nearly Girl by Lisa de Nikolits

on Tour November 2016

Synopsis:

Fans of "A Prayer for Owen Meany" and "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" will love this clever, fast-paced and enjoyable thriller.
Like a modern-day Joan of Arc, Amelia Fisher attempts to carve out a 'normal life', showing us how mythic the idea of 'normal' really is.
With a poetic genius for a father, an obsessed body builder for a mother, and an enchantingly eccentric group seeking the help of an unorthodox therapist, what could possibly go wrong?
A chance discovery propels Amelia and fellow therapy attendee, Mike, with whom she is in love, into a life-threatening situation instigated by the crazed doctor's own dark secret but Amelia's psychosis saves the day.
Told with warmth, humor and populated with vividly original characters, this sprint-paced novel has it all, from restraining orders to sex in office bathrooms, and a nail-biting ending.
A novel about an unusual family, expected social norms and the twists and turns of getting it all slightly wrong, the consequences of which prove fatal for some.

Book Details:

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense
Published by: Inanna Publications
Publication Date: October 2016
Number of Pages: 301
ISBN: 1771333138 (ISBN13: 9781771333139)
Purchase Links: Amazon, Goodreads, &INANNA

Interview with the Author:

When did you decide to become a writer?

I always knew I wanted to be a writer. I know that sounds a bit ridiculous but it’s the truth! But my dream took a lot longer to come true than I thought it would and I am glad I didn’t know how long it would take or I would have been incredibly discouraged!

 

What are your ambitions for your writing career?

The daydreams of my youth saw me standing among my peers as an Emily Brontë, a securely lodged a writing institution. Which is really hilarious, but when you are young, you truly believe you can be that special, that celebrated. And you even think it will come without too much fuss or effort on your part.

 

The main problem with my writing career was that it was so untutored, for so many years. People told me I had talent and therefore I thought that whatever I wrote, was print-worthy. I didn’t realize there was a structure to a novel, or how dialogue worked, or how to create characters or anything like that.

 

I studied Philosophy and English Literature and back then, in South Africa, there weren’t any Creative Writing courses. Which is why, for decades, I wrote long stream-of-consciousness internal narrative rambles that I thought were novels.

 

And, as you can imagine, I suffered untold amounts of rejection and as a result of that, my ambitions changed. My primary ambition became to simply get published. And then, after that, my ambition changed to wanting to write different stories, better stories, more finely crafted novels. Being published was a dream come that had finally come true but I wanted more – as we all do – I wanted to be better. And not only better, I wanted to find my truest writing voice.  And that is still my ambition today. I feel The Nearly Girl is the closest thing to my truest writing voice to date but I am still keen to explore what else I have inside, to develop and create.

 

Give us an insight into your main character. What does he/she do that is so special? Amelia nearly gets things right but she also gets them very wrong. In order to keep her welfare benefits, she has to attend therapy sessions and this leads to all kind of dangers and intrigue, particularly when she realizes her therapist is up to no good.

 

But, plot issues aside (and I have been told by many readers that this is a sprint-paced thriller that grabs you from the moment you start it and you can’t put it down), this novel is a book about self-acceptance and finding yourself as your happy place. It’s an optimistic book in a very special and unique way, with all the characters bringing their own quirky idiosyncrasies to the work.

 

Do you have a special time to write or how is your day structured? I have a very intense day job as an art director and so I fit my writing in, in tiny bits whenever I can. I have one rule: Do one thing a day for your writing. And it doesn’t matter whether that is writing thousands of works on the weekend or writing a single line on a post-it note during the day – just do one thing. Write down one idea, one paragraph, one chapter. And it works. I do write a lot at night and on the weekends. I have an iPad and two computers and a various notebooks. I write a lot in longhand, when I am tired of typing or staring at my computer and then, when I get to transcribe the work, I can edit it too.

 

Where do the ideas come from? Ah, the million-dollar question! The answer is that they come from everywhere. I am like a magpie, always searching among the rubbish for tiny shiny treasures that I can turn into storylines. I collect and hoard and then I sift through the stockpile in my head and see if this will go with that or something else… I always have two or three stories in my head at a time, being worked on.

 

My characters come to me as is, they simply arrive fully dressed (or sometimes naked or in some state of half-dress!) and they just are who they are. I do turn some of them away if I feel that I can’t bond with them or work with them and I can’t feel bad about that. You can’t be best friends with everybody you meet, nor can you write about all the possible characters that you think about.

 

Do you work to an outline or plot or do you prefer just see where an idea takes you?

I need to have a plot outline to start with. It’s essential for me. The plot can change and I am very open to that but I need a format to work with initially. I usually start out with a single idea (for example, The Nearly Girl came from one idea – imagine a girl who does things out of time and sequence – what would her life be like and what would or could the consequences be for her and those around her? That was my single idea and the whole book sprang from there.) And then, my characters show up and then I fashion a plot. I do it almost like an organizational chart with this leading to that leading to this.

 

Any tips on how to get through the dreaded writer’s block?

I am not sure if I have ever had writer’s block. There have been some periods where I haven’t actually written but I am always working on ideas and penning down notes. I am constantly working on two or more stories as mentioned, so if one runs dry for a bit or I am stymied, I just turn to another one and let the ideas brew for the one that is a bit stuck. But so far, I haven’t really been stuck! Let’s hope that continues!

 

If I really did get stuck, I would just keep at it, I am like a pit bull when it comes to writing. I may have some talent but I have heaps more determination. I never give up on an idea or on my belief in myself. And sometimes it is hard, it takes an enormous amount of self-discipline to be as hard working as I am (and I truly sometimes feel that I work harder than is humanly possible and I know a lot of my writer friends feel the same way.)

 

Sometimes I will feel utterly ill with exhaustion but I think just do that one more thing today and I do. So, if an idea is not working, I am like a dog with a bone… I keep gnawing at it. My husband sometimes says I should walk away and let the idea grow but if I do that, the idea dies! I need to arm wrestle it!

 

What can we expect from you down the line?

I have two novels signed to be published in 2017 (No Fury Like That) and 2018 (Rotten Peaches), all with Inanna Publications.

 

I am working on another novel, The Occult Persuasion and I am working on a few stories for anthologies. I think it’s very good to keep submitting to anthologies, it keeps your writing fresh. I also keep trying different techniques in my writing – for example, No Fury Like That has aspects of magical realism and I am concerned the readers will be annoyed by that – but I have to try it! Writing and creating is all about new artistries and improved techniques and one must keep trying!

 

Thank you very much for having me as a guest today!

Read an excerpt:

Amelia lay still. Mike was next to her, snoring slightly.
Amelia wondered how much time had passed since she and Mike had vanished. She wondered how Dr. Carroll had covered up their disappearance but she was sure his story was airtight. She wondered if anybody was worried about them and looking for them. She hoped Ethel was out of hospital and she tried to send messages to Nana with her mind, telling her to look for them.
Amelia’s eyes were wide open and she was trying to make little growling noises in her throat and eventually she was able to make a sound.
She graduated to trying to form words. Ma….. Ma….. Mak….. Mak!
Mak? The word was hardly decipherable but she was grateful for the utterance.
Mike? She growled the guttural utterance as quietly as she could but there was no reply.
Amelia lay on her back and she closed her eyes and concentrated very hard on trying to roll over. It seemed impossible to do in one big motion and she broke it down, first just trying to move her right arm across her chest. When she achieved this gigantic feat, she was drenched in sweat and she felt exhausted.
She wasn’t sure why but the sedative was metabolizing in her system in a different way to the others, it seemed to be leaving her bloodstream much faster. She was worried that Dr. Carroll would notice and administer the next dose before the current one had worn off.
She was about to roll over onto her stomach when she heard a noise. Alarmed that Dr. Carroll had returned, she flopped over onto her back, and adjusted herself into the same position as he had left her.
No sooner had she done this, than the doctor pushed his way into the room.
He sat down on the floor and heaved a great sigh.
You two have caused me an inordinate problem, he said. Really and truly you have. Why did you have to come here? Why?
He sat cross-legged and put his head into his hands.
I don’t know what to do with you, he said, his voice muffled. I have to get rid of you but I don’t know how to do it. I’m not a violent man, I’m not. I never thought it would come to this.
He rubbed his face. I could kill you very easily, that part is not the problem. It’s the disposing of the bodies. Hmm…
He fell into deep silence. If your bodies were ever found, the drugs in your system would lead you right back to me. But it’s very tough to dispose of bodies. Much harder than you would think. They make it look so easy in the movies but I wouldn’t even know where to start. Although, that said, I could drive north for a few hours, find a couple of side roads and dump you in the swamps. But I’d have to wade into them, carrying you, and you are both so heavy and there are snakes in those waters and frogs and god knows what, so no… that won’t work.
Oh, this is such a problem. I wonder if I should disappear instead. But why should I have to give up everything I have worked so hard to achieve? Why should I be the one to lose everything just because two nosy parkers poked their nosy noses where they shouldn’t have?
What about fire… I could try to burn you both, but bodies don’t burn entirely in fire and how and why and where would you have set yourselves alight? I don’t think I would be able to create a scenario in such a way that it would be believable to anyone.
There’s dismemberment of course. I could dismember you in the bathtub but the blood, ugh, blood. And I would have to buy saws and knives and plastic and containers and from what I’ve read, the evidence of blood is very hard to rid of. And how would I get rid of the body parts? I am back to square one. Disposal.
A lover’s pact? Suicide? Yes… but I’d need to get you both into a motel which would be a logistical nightmare. Slitting your wrists would be easy but I’d also have to make sure enough time passed for all the drugs to clear out of your system. And how am I supposed to carry you two lugs into a motel without being seen?
He gave a great sigh. I have to prepare dinner for my family. I don’t care about you two. You can starve to death for all I care.
He got up. I’m one of the top two percentile of brilliant geniuses, he said. I will think of something.

Author Bio:

Originally from South Africa, Lisa de Nikolits has lived in Canada since 2000. She has a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and Philosophy and has lived in the U.S.A., Australia and Britain.
Lisa de Nikolits is the award-winning author of five novels. Her first novel, The Hungry Mirror won a 2011 IPPY Awards Gold Medal for Women's Issues Fiction and was long-listed for a ReLit Award. West of Wawa won the 2012 IPPY Silver Medal Winner for Popular Fiction and was a Chatelaine Editor's Pick. A Glittering Chaos tied to win the 2014 Silver IPPY for Popular Fiction. The Witchdoctor’s Bones launched in Spring 2014 to literary acclaim and wide readership. Between The Cracks She Fell launched in Fall 2015 and was well reviewed by the Quill & Quire and was on the recommended reading lists for Open Book Toronto and 49th Shelf. Between The Cracks She Fell was also reviewed by Canadian Living magazine and called ‘a must-read book of 2015’. Between The Cracks She Fell won a Bronze IPPY Award 2016 for Contemporary Fiction. All books have been published by Inanna Publications.

Don't Forget to Visit Lisa de Nikolits' website , her Twitter Feed , & her Facebook Page !

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