Thursday, February 27, 2014

COVER REVEAL ~The One Who Loves You by Sydney Simon~

Title: The One Who Loves You
Author: Sydney Simon

Series: The Decisions #1
Release Date: TBD
After a near death car accident, Siena Carson wakes up from a coma with no recollection of who she is.

Standing in front of her are two men - she has no idea who they are, or what they mean to her- but she's certain that two separate worlds have collided.

What if these two men would do anything to make her remember what she meant to them...
Both men spend the next week talking her through her past, each secretly hoping for a future.

The choices are there.
Decisions need to be made.
Would you choose the one who loves you or the one you love?
Meet Sydney:
I was born and raised in Southern California, where I worked in a medley of colorful jobs. Today I am a wife, full time mom, shuttle service and student, in that order. I love pop culture and music, especially from the 70's and 80's. I was too busy partying through the 90's to remember much, other than there were too many boy bands (I am grateful for JT though). I believe that things happen to everyone for reason; I hope that this path I'm on is both a learning experience and a journey for tomorrow. The One Who Loves You is my first published novel.Connect with Sydney:


Wednesday, February 26, 2014

REVIEW ~Bad Things by R.K. Lilley~

Title: Bad Things
Author: R.K. Lilley
Series: Tristan & Danika #1
Release Date: June 11, 2013

My Rating: 5+ Stars!
Danika hasn’t had an easy life. Being insanely attracted to bad boys has never helped make it easier.

One look at Tristan, and every brain cell she possessed went up in smoke. This man was trouble with a capital T. It was a given.
She knew better. Bad boys were bad. Especially for her. Considering her history, it was crazy to think otherwise. So why did crazy have to feel so damn fine?

For as long as she could remember, Danika had been focused on the future with single-minded purpose. Tristan came along and taught her everything there was to know about letting go, and living in the present. She fell, hard and deep. Of course, that only made her impact with the ground that much more devastating.

Bad Things is about Tristan and Danika, and their train wreck of a love story. This series can be read as a standalone, or with the Up in the Air series.

Bad Things is a full length novel, at roughly 105,000 words.
This book is intended for ages 18 and up.

This book absolutely blew my expectations out of the water. As in... I was 100% surprised with where this book took me. Going in, I only had the knowledge from the Up in the Air series, where Tristan and Danika were first, briefly introduced to the readers. I didn't read any teasers, chapters, nothing. So, imagine my surprise when Bad Things is actually a predecessor to the events in the Up in the Air series. But, truthfully? I loved it. I was going to get to see everything that happened in detail. Not just glimpses of the past, or vague references that kept me guessing. Although, I still don't know how I didn't know about this! Anyhow, I'm passed my incredulous stage now. This book is AMAZING! Absolutely stupendous. There is a bad boy lead who I loved to hate, and hated to love but, also loved to love. And then there's Danika. She is an enigma. So incredibly strong, yet also a little weak where Tristan is concerned. I didn't fault her for her weakness, it was more of a testament to Tristan's beguiling ways than anything else. 

Bad Things starts from the very beginning. It opens with Tristan and Danika's first meet and journeys through every twist and turn thereafter. I was utterly entranced with Tristan and Danika's friendship at the start. Their mannerisms toward each other were equal parts hilarious and seductive. Tristan is a true bad influence but, Danika can't help but be pulled under. They have a very dynamic relationship, even when they're not together. And the cast they surround themselves with feeds into that drama as well. We have Frankie, who I absolutely adore. Tristan's brother, Jared, who comes with a whole host of his own problems, and several other friends and band members that lead the same hectic lifestyle that Tristan dragged Danika into. Partying all night, drinking everyday. It is very much an eye opener. I was always waiting for the other shoe to drop. But it was never predictable as to when it would or how far it would fall. 

This book had me laughing, pissed off, hurt, angry, swooning, and crying. Yes, the tears. You win this one R.K., but I'll be prepared when I read Rock Bottom (though, based on the name, I think I'll lose the crying battle during that one too). Bad Things is a smorgasbord of drama, hot sex, jealousy, and a complete out of left field moment that will shock you to your core. However, and I stress this, it ISN'T a cliffhanger. Just completely unexpected. In the end, I was left needing more but, not necessarily wanting it. I knew if R.K. Lilley could tatter up my heart with just one book, she might just destroy it over the next two. Honestly, I'm frightened to start Rock Bottom. Because eventually Tristan and Danika are going to catch up to point B, that I got a glimpse of in the Up in the Air series and I might not be able to handle it. Not because it will be a bad story but, because I know it's going to blow my mind and that at some point I'll most likely be cursing the dear Ms. Lilley. I don't know, that's just my educated guess. I'll have to see, I might get someone to buddy read it with me :) Overall, a superb read and highly recommended!

Happy Reading!

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Monday, February 24, 2014

REVIEW + SERIES SPOTLIGHT + GIVEAWAY ~His Secrets by Lisa Renee Jones~

Title: His Secrets
Author: Lisa Renee Jones
Series: Inside Out #3.1
Release Date: February 24, 2014

My Rating: 5 Stars
An Inside Out story, FINALLY - Chris's POV

In a world where my only escape has been my art, Sara has been the light in my darkness. And there is darkness, the kind of inky black that can bleed from my life to hers.

She doesn't see it. She doesn't understand what I've shown her. And my biggest fear is that soon...she will.

This is an absolute MUST READ! If you love the Inside Out Series, you have to read this book. His Secrets picks up right before Chris and Sara head back to San Francisco. There is some time spent at the country home in Paris in which Sara and Chris finally get to spend some much needed time alone. All too quickly though, we are back in the world in which Chris must battle his demons at every turn. This is not a novella just to tide us over until the next book. This novella, told from Chris' POV, holds many key elements that will be present throughout the remainder of the series.

"The two of us are all kinds of fucked up that somehow equals perfect."
~Chris

Chris and Sara continue to battle with Chris' past in His Secrets. They flip back and forth between what is good for them and what they need, crave and desire. Amber, Isabel and Tristan all play a pivotal role in this story. We delve deeper into problems between all of the characters and hit breaking points for a few of them as well. There were parts where I wanted to smack someone, hug someone and cry for someone. His secrets was one of those books that stayed with me even after I was finished. I kept thinking about the characters and how what happened was going to effect them in the future. In true Inside Out style His Secrets was just as haunting and captivating as its predecessors.

"Then I pull back, praying I didn't just kiss her goodbye."
~Chris

For such a short read, this book is equal parts poignant and heart-warming. His Secrets opens up so many more roads that this story line can travel. I saw Chris finally have a breakthrough in making peace with his past but, he and Sara still have a very long road ahead of them. I'm not sure who was fooling themselves in this book. Was Sara being too naive about Chris' past? Or was Chris underestimating Sara's ability to handle the screwed-up not so distant past he had lead? Either way I am counting the days until my questions are answered, and I get more of Sara and Chris! I do have to stress that this book is a very vital part of what is to come in the Inside Out Series. What happens in Paris will probably not stay in Paris... Or maybe it will. Who knows? Ms. Jones creates new turns and twists with every word she writes so, there is no guessing what is to come from this magnificent series.
Happy Reading!
*ARC provided by the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review*
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The Inside Out series is in development for cable television with the fabulous producer Suzanne Todd at the helm. Suzanne has worked on projects such as Alice in Wonderland with Johnny Depp, Must Love Dogs, Austin Powers, Lethal Weapon and many more!

So where does the show stand?

I was just in Hollywood and I had the pleasure of meeting with many of the brilliant minds involved in the process. It was pretty surreal to sit there and talk to these talented folks and have them know my characters the way I know them. Truly amazing.

It’s been fun learning the process of a cable TV show in development. There is no pilot. There is simply the process of someone writing the first 8-10 episodes. If those scripts are approved, then a staff of writers to carry on the show will be hired, and casting begins for the first season. Also, unlike movies, as we’ve seen with 50 Shades, casting isn’t something that is talked about for a year and then finally happens. In general, when a cable station orders a show to production, things move fast. So once you hear the news, it will get exciting at lightning speed. I hope to be able to share that news VERY soon!

That said, I am beyond thrilled that the producers of the show, Team Todd, are excited to engage fans in the process. They watch my Twitter and Facebook and enjoy seeing the fan suggestions for casting. They even watch fan-made videos! When I was in Hollywood, they shared their excitement about involving readers and fun ideas like VIP casting chats for readers.

They’ve set up an email newsletter list to better connect with the fans. To take part, just email REBECCA@TEAM-TODD.com and say I WANT TO BE AN INSIDER.

And yes, feel free to post your casting ideas on my Facebook page. The producers LOVE seeing them and I'll repost them to my main page. I look forward to taking this exciting journey with all of my readers!

Book #1
Title: If I Were You
Author: Lisa Renee Jones
Series: Inside Out #1
Release Date: September 13, 2013
When Sara McMillan finds a stack of journals in a storage unit, she’s shocked and enthralled by the erotic life the writer led. Unable to stop reading, she vicariously lives out dark fantasies through Rebecca, the writer—until the terrifying final entry.

Certain something sinister has happened, Sara sets out to discover the facts, immersing herself in Rebecca’s life. Soon she’s working at the art gallery Rebecca worked at and meeting Rebecca’s friends. Finding herself drawn to two dangerously sexy men, the manager of the gallery and a famed artist, Sara realizes she’s going down the same path Rebecca took. But with the promise of her dark needs being met by a man with confident good looks and a desire for control, she’s not sure anything else matters. Just the burn for more.
Rounding the corner, I enter the hallway, and Chris is suddenly there in the narrow passage with me, pressing me against the wall, his powerful thighs framing mine.

My hand goes instinctively to his t-shirt-clad chest. I am immediately aware of the intimacy of the touch, of my body’s reaction to the man who has betrayed me. “Don’t shove me against another wall and try to intimidate me, Chris.”

“I’m not trying to intimidate you. I was protecting you, Sara.” His hands move to my waist, scorching me, and my reaction to the sizzling touch is instant. I cover his hands with mine, trying to control what he does next, but it doesn’t help. Now, my hands are on his hands and his hands are on my body.

“Call it what you want,” I ground out, “but you had no right to do what you did.”

“He had to know he couldn’t manipulate your dream. Money, and my many resources at your disposal, does that.”

His words knock my anger and my breath away, and confusion consumes me. His actions and his words conflict at every turn. “Why would you help me? You said I don’t belong in this world.”

“Because I won’t watch him gobble you up and destroy you.”

I remember his words, and understand now that he wanted me out of this gallery, not this profession. “Because he’s a dark, messed up, arrogant asshole who will play with my mind and use me until there is nothing else left of me I recognize.”

“That’s right.”

“And yet you say you’re worse.”

He stiffens and cuts his gaze, seeming to struggle before fixing me in a turbulent stare. “I am, Sara, which is why you should run as far away from me as you can. And I should step back and let you.”

“Then why aren’t you?” I whisper.

His eyes hold mine, and what I see there, the depth of his desire, overwhelms me. He flattens his palm on my belly and I tremble beneath the touch, and he has to feel it too. “Because,” his voice low, seductive, his hand traveling up the center of my body, “I can’t stop thinking about you, and everything I want to do to you, everywhere I want to touch you.”

His hand presses to the swell between my breasts, and my nipples ache with a wish he would touch them. His boldness ignites something sultry and dark inside me, a side of me that defies the good-girl school teacher who is appalled I haven’t stopped this. I want him. I want him here and now, and any way I can have him.

And when his gaze lowers to my mouth and lingers, I know he is thinking about kissing me and I have never wanted to be kissed so badly in my life.

“Do you taste as good as I think you do?” he asks, but he doesn’t wait for my reply.

Suddenly, his fingers have tunneled into my hair and he’s dragging my mouth to his. I am all soft submission, yielding to the moment, to the man. I melt into him, welcome the hardness of his body pressed to mine. And when his tongue presses past my lips, a long, wicked caress, I taste his hunger, his need. There is possessiveness to his kiss, to his hand on my back, molding me closer. I am lost in the ache that has become my need for this man, this stranger I cannot resist. He says he’s protecting me; he says he’s dangerous. I am conflicted, and sure I should be angry with him, but I am completely incapable and unable of processing why.

Links to Buy:

Books #1.1-1.4
Title: Rebecca's Lost Journals
Author: Lisa Renee Jones
Series: Inside Out #1.1-1.4
Release Date: Single ebooks available NOW, Combined ebook and print coming April 15, 2014
Rebecca Mason has known heartache and sorrow in her life, losing everyone she loves. She’s on her own in San Francisco, lost in every way, until she dares to make the decision to chase her dream of working in the art world. It is then that he meets a rich, seductively powerful man who will become the Master she never knew she wanted and change her life forever. He will lead her on a dark, passionate journey where pain is pleasure and pleasure is pain, and where every limit she once had is no more. In this man, she will find solace to her pain, an escape from the ache inside her. And in him, she will discover a darkness she may never escape.
I dreamed of him. . . . He’d tied me to his bed again only this time I was facedown, unable to see him. I wanted to see him but I didn’t feel a fear of the unknown. He wasn’t touching me, but as crazy as it sounds, I could feel him. There was something about him in that dream that just reached inside me and slid straight to my soul. I had no idea what he was going to do to me. I had been certain, though, that he knew best. He’d make whatever we did, whatever he did to me, pleasurable. He’d know what I needed.

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Book #2
Title: Being Me
Author: Lisa Renee Jones
Series: Inside Out #2
Release Date: June 11, 2013
Fascinated by the dark fantasies in the journals she’s discovered, and the two men who have now found a place in her life, Sara McMillan finds herself torn between her new life and her past. Now, more than ever, Sara identifies with the lost journal writer, Rebecca, and is certain that something sinister has happened.

In the arms of the sexy, tormented artist Chris Merit, Sara seeks answers about Rebecca and ends up discovering things about herself she never knew existed. Chris forces Sara to reconsider who she is and what she truly wants from life, but not before his dark desires threaten to tear them apart. Her boss, Mark Compton, offers her the shelter to understand just what those needs mean to her, and what they might have meant to Rebecca, but can she trust him to lead her to a final conclusion to Rebecca’s story?
The elevator door dings open and I never have the chance to retreat. Chris grabs my hand and pulls me into his apartment. Before I can blink, I’m facing the entry room wall, one hand clutching the journal, the other flat on the surface in from of me. Chris steps behind me, framing my body with his bigger one and I feel the hardness of his body as intensely as I feel the hardness of his mood.

His hand settles on the center of my back, branding me, controlling me, and he pulls my bag and purse from my shoulder and dumps it on the floor. I feel him shrug away his jacket and he reaches for mine. It catches on the journal and his hand closes around it.

The air seems to thicken and for several seconds we hold the journal, both our fingers gripping the red leather. Erotic images created by Rebecca’s words play in my mind and I remember reading one of the entries with Chris. I wonder if he is thinking about that day, too, or something completely different. About Rebecca perhaps? I want to ask, but there is this sharp pinch in my chest that holds me back.

Chris takes the journal from me and I have no idea where he puts it. It is gone and my jacket follows. He steps behind me, and I forget everything but him. His hands settle possessively on my hips and his mouth, that delicious, sometimes brutal mouth, brushes my ear. “You want pain and darkness, baby, you got it.”

Shock slides through me at the unexpected promise and I think of us holding the journal, and of the dark entries inside that terrify and intrigue me. “What happened to me not being able to handle this part of you, Chris?” I ask, and my voice trembles with the question.

“Tonight happened,” he replies and there is nothing unsure about his voice, just hard steel and more anger. “And I damn sure want to give you a reason to think twice before it repeats.”

Conflicting emotions overcome me. I crave and resist the possessiveness I sense in him. I’m jerked out of this thought when Chris yanks my dress up my hips, exposing my backside. I hear the silk of my panties tear before I feel the bite of the material ripping from my body. His hands caress my backside, and the edgy tension in him is like a wave crashing into me.

He leans in, his lips brushing my ear, hot breath fanning my skin, promising delicious, forbidden fantasies only Chris can fulfill. “I’m going to spank you before this night is over, Sara.”

The threat is a velvety seduction and taut threat and my response is instantaneous. I cannot catch my breath, let alone form a coherent reply, but I never get the chance.

Chris turns me to face him, shoving my hands over my head and shackling them with one of his. “But first, I’m going to take you to the edge of bliss and pull you back so many times, you’ll think you’re going insane, just like I was when you didn’t answer your phone.” He tugs down the front zipper of my dress to my waist, unhooks my bra, and begins to tease one of my nipples. “Any objections?”

“Would they matter?” I whisper, unable to find my voice for the waves of pleasure washing over my body.

“Not unless you tell me to stop what I’m doing.” He leans in and nips my lip as he had the night before, laving the bite with his tongue. “But if you say stop, Sara, make damn sure you mean it because I will stop. Understand?”

“Chris-”

“Answer, Sara.” His fingers slide between my thighs, spreading the slick heat of my sensitive flesh, and leaving my nipples aching for more. I have the distinct impression he’s reminding me why ‘stop’ is a bad word.

“Yes,” I pant. “Yes, I understand.”

His thumb strokes my clit and slips two fingers inside me, filling me, stretching me. I pant with the pleasure, imagining the moment he is inside me. “Come before I tell you to and I’ll spank you right now.”

“What?” I gasp. “I can’t-”

“You can and you will.”

His words are as powerful as his touch, and I feel the bittersweet build of release. “Why do I get the idea you’d enjoy my failure?”

“Because I want to spank you.” His lips brush mine, his fingers stroking me with slow, sultry precision that is driving me wild. “And you want me to.”

I do and I have no clue why but the certainty that he will is so intensely erotic that my sex tightens around his fingers.

The beginning of an orgasm is almost as alluring as his hand on my backside.

His fingers are suddenly gone, denying my pleasure, and I growl my frustration. “Damn you, Chris.”

“Damn me all you want but you still won’t come until I say you come.” He strokes my nipple and flicks it back and forth. “I’m going to release your wrists and you will not move them. Understand?”

No, I do not understand! I scream in my head, but I nod my agreement, certain doing as he says is my only path to satisfaction.

His hand teasing my nipple falls away and he studies me, seeming to assess my willpower, or maybe just torturing me with the absence of his hands on my body. I’m ready to scream with the injustice of it when he sinks to one knee in front of me and his hands settle on my hips.

His gaze lifts and snags mine and I want to order his mouth to the most intimate part of my body. Slowly, his mouth lowers, not to the spot I crave him to be, but to my stomach. The soft, seductive touch of his lips, followed by the gentle stroke of his tongue, sends a shiver through me and my belly quivers beneath his mouth. The contrast of how tender he is in one moment and how hard and demanding he can be in the next, fills me with anticipation and is as arousing as anything I’ve ever experienced.

Slowly, he trails his lips over the tender skin, his tongue dipping into my navel, laving my hip bone, and finally traveling just above the V of my body.

I am breathing hard with the restraint I use to stop myself from reaching for him and the muscles of my sex clench so tightly it hurts. “Chris,” I plead when I can take no more.

He rewards my urgency by licking my clit. Yes, please, more, I think, but do not dare say out loud, for fear he will do the opposite. I moan and another lick follows and it’s nothing shy of sweet bliss when his mouth closes down around me. He suckles my swollen nub, drawing deeply on my sensitive flesh and using his tongue at just the right moments until I am going insane. Sensations ripple through me and I have no willpower, no control. I tumble into orgasm and he immediately pulls his mouth from me, denying me full satisfaction, leaving my muscles clenching in partial release.

My knees buckle but he is on his feet, wrapping his arm around my waist, and holding me up. He lifts me into his arms and starts walking toward his bedroom. His words replay in my head. Come before I tell you to, and I’ll spank you right now. Chris doesn’t say anything he doesn’t mean and my heart races at the certainty of my punishment.

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Book #3.5
Title: The Master Undone
Author: Lisa Renee Jones
Series: Inside Out #3.5
Release Date: August 12, 2013 (Will also be included in the print anthology of Rebecca's Lost Journals)
I told him goodbye, and I will not call him. I know if I do, it will be my undoing, and I'll once again be caught up in his spell. I will once again be...lost.

In her private journals, Rebecca laid bare her soul, revealing her obsession for the one man whose erotic demands captivated her imagination--and enslaved her forever. Now, with Rebecca no longer in his life he is lost, questioning everything he thought he knew about himself and about control he holds in such high regard. One women will reach out to heal him and then turn away, leaving him haunted. She is nothing he thought he wanted and somehow everything he needs. He tells himself to forget her but he cannot escape his desire for her. He has to have more..
Once my flight lands in New York, I’m anxious to get to the hospital. I quickly make my way to the baggage claim and locate my carousel. With some fast footwork I’m at the front of the crowd and I’ve just snatched my single piece of luggage, besides the one hung over my shoulder, when I hear, “Mr. Compton?”

I turn to find a pretty blonde standing before me, her long, silky hair draping the shoulders of her pale pink, primly cut suit jacket. I arch a brow at her. “And you would be?”

“You are the Mark Compton, correct?”

“I’m Mark Compton,” I confirm, wondering where this is headed.

“I thought so. I recognize your picture from Riptide.” Her perfect pale cheeks flush.“Oh. Sorry. I should introduce myself.”

She offers me her hand. “Crystal Smith, the new head of sales for Riptide, and thrilled to be working at one of the most prestigious auction houses in the world.”

I don’t reach for her hand. But my need to avoid touching her isn’t control, it’s weakness—and I hate weakness. I close my hand over hers. “Nice to meet you, Ms. Smith.” My palm warms, and I don’t want to be warmed by this woman, or by any woman I haven’t chosen as a submissive.

Her lashes lower, and I know she’s hiding her reaction to the touch. Despite myself, I am intrigued. Even more so when, almost instantly, she smoothly recovers and her lashes lift, her eyes directly meeting mine. Any sign of whatever she’d felt is gone.

Impressed by her rapid recovery and quick control, I’m surprised by how reluctantly I release her hand. I’m rarely reluctant about anything.“Since when is it the duty of the sales manager to pick someone up at the airport?”

Her brows dip and she gives a delicate snort.“It’s not like you’re just anyone.You’re your mother’s son.”

I inwardly cringe at the sore spot she’s hit. I love my mother, but there’s a reason why I opened my gallery across the country.“She ordered you to pick me up.”

Her lips curve. “Your mother’s as feisty as ever from her hospital bed.”

“I’m not surprised,” I manage tightly. Just thinking of my mother in a hospital bed creates a dull throb in my gut. “She’s impossible to say no to, even for me.”

“I thought for sure her pride and joy would be the one person who could.”

Fighting a wave of something dark I’d rather not name, I struggle to maintain my normal steely composure.“My mother is the only person I can’t say no to.”

She gives me an odd, quizzical look.“The only person?”

“Yes, Ms. Smith.The only person.”

She frowns.“I’m sorry,” she says, and then waves me toward the door.“My car’s parked in a fifteen-minute spot.We’d better run before I get towed.” She turns and starts walking, expecting me to follow.

I stare after her. She’s sorry? What the hell does that even mean, and why do I have this intense need to race after her and ask, when I never run after anyone?

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Book #3
Title: Revealing Us
Author: Lisa Renee Jones
Series: Inside Out #3
Release Date: September 10, 2013
The third installment in the sexy Inside Out erotic romance series—in the seductive tradition of Fifty Shades of Grey.

You've discovered Rebecca's secrets. You've discovered Sara's secrets. Now Sara will discover "his" deepest, darkest secrets...but will those secrets bind them together--or tear them apart?
With a departing remark, the driver climbs into his car. As the sedan backs away I can now see the other side of the garage, where three classic Mustangs, two Harleys, and a silver Porsche 911 are parked.

I shake my head at Chris. “Different place, same obsessions.”

“You’re my obsession,” Chris replies huskily, nuzzling my neck. “Addictive in every way, and that comes with rewards. You get one of the Harleys.”

I laugh. “Not a reward I’d choose, but okay.” I point to the one that looks the most expensive. “I’ll take that one.”

The doors to the garage shut and Chris twines his fingers with mine and walks backward, leading me toward the building, mischief lighting his eyes. “You can ride with me, baby.”

I roll my eyes. “You always have to be in control.”

“You like it when I’m in control.”

“I should deny that,” I reply without hesitation. I’m way beyond censoring my thoughts with Chris.

Links to Buy:


Book #3.1- His Secrets (see above)

Book #3.2
Title: My Hunger
Author: Lisa Renee Jones
Series: Inside Out #3.2
Release Date: July 7, 2014 (Expected)

Master…

Being that person, that man is how I define myself, how I allow the rest of the world to define me as well. And now, with a terrible loss shredding me inside out and someone trying to destroy my family to punish me, control is more important than ever. It is everything. It is what I need. It is all I need. Or maybe I just need…her.

Links to Pre-Order:


Book #4
Title: No In Between
Author: Lisa Renee Jones
Series: Inside Out #4
Release Date: August 19, 2014

The fourth in the Inside Out erotic romance series by New York Times bestselling author Lisa Renee Jones, this steamy novel resolves Chris and Sarah's relationship and leads into Mark's story.
(Unedited) Another man in an expensive fitted suit much like Mark’s gray one, steps to Mark’s side, his features ruggedly male, whereas Mark’s are classical male beauty. And where Mark’s classically clean shaven and handsome, his short blond hair is always neatly groomed, this man’s thick, light brown hair is long enough to be tied at his nape, and the stubble on jawline far more than a shadow.

The man says something to Mark and I don’t know why, but I am certain the stranger is his attorney. Mark barely acknowledges what is said to him, stepping forward, closing the distance between us, and I cannot seem to move. He moves with absolute predatory grace, beautiful, powerful, impossible to ignore and I am his prey.

I am not immune to Mark’s certain flavor of power and masculinity, but then, I have never denied that fact. But being affected by his larger-than-life presence and wanting him are two different things. It's also a way Rebecca and I differed and I cannot help but remember her words. He was magnificent. Really, truly the most gorgeous man I’ve ever known. Instant lust exploded inside me. I wanted to feel him close to me, to feel him touch me. To touch him.

She’d started out infatuated and then fell in love, and suddenly, I am angry at Mark for not seeing what he had with her before he lost her. Even more so for trying to push her away by involving Ava and Ryan in their intimate moments, and who knew who else, that I never discovered.

Intending to tell him so, I step forward, closing the distance between us and stopping when we are toe to toe, but he speaks before I do. “Ms. McMillan,” he says in that low baritone of his that is both sultry suggestion and hard steel.

I lift my chin and meet his stare, and when I do, I see the barely masked heartache in the depths of those steely gray eyes. I see love lost, and my anger is ripped right out of my chest. “Mark,” I whisper, bleeding for him, with him. “It’s good to see you.” And without any conscious decision to do so, I wrap my arms around him and press my cheek to his chest. He doesn’t hug me back but I don’t care. It kills me to realize that Rebecca finally taught Mark what it is to love, and she’ll never even know.

“Ms. McMillan,” he warns tersely. “Now is not the time for affection.”

I step back, choosing to ignore the deep seductive quality of those words, and press my hands to my hips. “Why don’t you return your phone calls?”

His expression is unreadable, the pain I’d seen minutes before carefully banked. “I just arrived into town and I’m certain you’re aware, I’ve had my hands full.”

The stranger joins us, his piercing blue eyes finding mine.

“This is “Tiger”,” Mark says without ever looking at the other man. “My attorney.”

“What is it with you men? You have a problem using a person’s real, God-given name?”

“Confirmation of what I suspected,” Tiger comments. “You have to be Sara. And it’s not my God-given name. It’s the one I earned and that means it’s the one I favor.”

Taking the bait, I ask, “And how exactly did you earn it?”

“I’ll rip your throat out if you cross my clients,” he replies, and I do not like the subtle threat in the words, be it real or imagined.

I narrow my eyes on Tiger. “You said ‘confirmation you’re Sara.’ What did that mean?”

Mark answers for Tiger. “I told him your propensity toward too much conversation.”

“Does he know your propensity toward arrogance?” I challenge.

“He does,” Mark confirms, without hesitation, a muscle flexing in his jaw.

I cringe at the realization that I’ve hit the nerve of self blame in Mark, a nerve I know has to be as raw and ripe as it gets. “I’m sorry,” I say quickly. “It slipped out. I was just doing that banter thing we do.”

He gives me on of those heavy lidded looks of his and says, “Not a problem, Ms. McMillan. I also warned Tiger that you tend toward being painfully honest.”

Now I’m the one with confirmation. I did hit a nerve. “I wasn’t trying to hurt you.”

“There’s nothing wrong with honesty,” Tiger comments.

I cut him an irritated look. “There is if it hurts someone.” I step closer to Mark. “Can we talk alone for a minute?”

“No private conversation,” Tiger replies, rejecting the idea.

I gape at Tiger. “You’re protecting Mark from me?”

“I’m protecting you both from prying eyes,” Tiger assures me, his tone all business. “Save the hugs and personal conversation for elsewhere.” He glances at his watch. “It’s 3:00. We need to get to our meeting room.”

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Book #4.5
Title: My Control
Author: Lisa Renee Jones
Series: Inside Out #4.1
Release Date: September 8, 2014

Mark's POV Novella

I have lost the man I once was, letting guilt and heartache define who I am. Darkness has controlled me, and one woman has seen what no one else has seen in me, what I do not wish to exist. My hunger for her has driven me to the edge of sanity, but no more. She's about to find out that the Master has returned.

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Book #5
Title: I Belong to You
Author: Lisa Renee Jones
Series: Inside Out #5
Release Date: November 2014
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Meet Lisa:
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Lisa Renee Jones is the author of the highly acclaimed INSIDE OUT TRILOGY which has sold to more than ten countries for translation with negotiations in process for more, and has now been optioned by STARZ Network for a cable television show, to be produced by Suzanne Todd (Alice in Wonderland).

Since beginning her publishing career in 2007, Lisa has published more than 30 books with publishers such as Simon and Schuster, Avon, Kensington, Harlequin, NAL, Berkley and Elloras Cave, as well as crafting a successful indie career. Booklist says that Jones suspense truly sizzles with an energy similar to FBI tales with a paranormal twist by Julie Garwood or Suzanne Brockmann.

Prior to publishing, Lisa owned multi-state staffing agency that was recognized many times by The Austin Business Journal and also praised by Dallas Women Magazine. In 1998 LRJ was listed as the #7 growing women owned business in Entrepreneur Magazine.

Lisa loves to hear from her readers. You can reach her through her website and she is active on twitter and Facebook daily.

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