Friday, April 27, 2018

A Vampire's Thirst: Nikolai by Marissa Farrar


Russian vampire Nikolai Petrov is forced by his maker to a meeting in a shady nightclub run by werewolves when it hits him—a craving for blood and sex, like nothing he’s ever experienced before—and his darkest vampire desires are unleashed.

But then a delicious scent assaults him. That of his Bloodmate. And she’s in terrible danger.

Nikolai knows he has to find her. If he doesn’t, the Thirst will take hold for good, and the number of deaths will be catastrophic—including his own. But Nikolai isn’t the only one after his Bloodmate. An older vampire has paid to own her, because Nikolai’s Bloodmate isn’t purely human...



Nook     iBooks     Kobo


~ EXCERPT ~


CHAPTER 1

“I can’t believe you’re asking this of me.”

Nikolai Petrov stood facing the floor to ceiling windows of his home, gazing out over the London skyline, so he didn’t have to look at the vampire behind him. Before him stretched London’s Docklands, with the Canary Wharf tower rising into the night sky. The winding curve of the River Thames appeared black at this time of night, the only light reflected from the surrounding buildings. This place was nothing like his motherland, Russia, but, after almost fifty years, it was a place he’d come to think of as home.

Nikolai shook his head then turned to his visitor. “You know I like to keep my business clean, Ivan.”

The second vampire was dark compared to his own fair looks, and had been older when he’d been turned, too, in his early thirties rather than late twenties as Nikolai had been. Both men were smartly dressed, though Ivan appeared more ruffled than normal, his tie yanked to one side, the top button of his shirt open. Nikolai’s shirt was also open, and he didn’t wear a tie. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up his forearms, but he’d done this deliberately. Ivan’s dishevelled appearance looked less intentional.

The other vampire’s lips pursed. “You’re making a far bigger deal of this than it really is.”

Nikolai cocked an eyebrow. “Investing three million pounds into my funds is a big deal.”
“Bullshit. You deal with bigger funds every day.”
“Yeah, and I know exactly where that money is coming from. Don’t try to tell me this money is going to be clean. We both know Deacon Thorn deals in some dodgy shit.”
Ivan shrugged. “He used to have the occasional thing on the side, but he’s been moving away from all of that for a long time. His clubs are all legit now, and he wants to continue with everything being legal, which is why he asked me to come to you. I guess he thought you’d understand, what with your background.”
Nikolai frowned at him. “And why should he ask you for anything, Ivan? What did you do? What is it you owe him? Is it just about the money? If it’s about money, I have plenty. I’ll just pay whatever you owe.”
But Ivan shook his head. “No, it’s not. And he doesn’t only want the money. He wants an investment opportunity, and he likes how everyone knows you’re always above board. That’s why he asked me to come to you.”
“I won’t be above board if I start to get involved with that son of a bitch.”
Ivan’s dark eyes grew hard. “I’m asking one simple thing from you, Nikolai. Stop making such a big deal out of it.”
“Investing millions into my funds is not a simple thing.”
“All it would take you is the click of a key on a computer.” His shoulders slumped and his tone changed to pleading. “Just come and meet with him, Nikolai. He’s not as bad as the rumours make out. He’s a businessman, just like you and I.”
“He’s a wolf.” Nikolai wrinkled his nose. “That’s never a good thing in my book.”
“You should judge people on who they are, not what they are,” Ivan scolded. “People aren’t exactly fond of vampires either, you know.”
Nikolai gave a cold laugh. “Well, he fails on both who and what he is.”
He turned back to look out at the London skyline. Normally, the expanse of lights brought him some comfort, but tonight he found he could only focus on his reflection staring back at him. Nikolai’s eyes were a pale shade of blue, almost appearing silvery in some light. His dark blond hair was just a shade away from brown. The effect, together with his pale skin, made his reflection look like a ghost, and he found the thought unnerving.
Ivan exhaled a frustrated lungful of air. “I hope you’re not saying no to me, Nikolai, not after everything I did for you.”
“That was a long time ago.”
“And I’ve never asked for a single thing in return. If it wasn’t for me, you’d be dead, and most of your family would have been wiped out.”
“Most of them are gone now anyway,” he growled.
“That tends to happen after fifty years walking the earth, but they have descendents, which they wouldn’t have if I’d not stepped in.”
Everything Ivan said was the truth. Nikolai had moved to London not long after he’d turned him from human to vampire. He’d had to in order to escape theBratva—the Russian mafia—with which his family had been deeply involved. He was killed by a rival family who had put out a hit on him because they hadn’t liked some of the contacts he was making. They’d shot him and left him for dead in the middle of a frozen alleyway. But a vampire had stumbled across him and had turned him then and there, feeding him from his own veins, and leaving fresh blood drops in the white snow.
Ivan turning him meant Nikolai was able to kill the man who had ordered the hit, but knowing what he was, he worried it would come back on his family, so he left Moscow for London. He’d never been back, but that didn’t mean he didn’t miss the place with every fibre of his soul. He often wondered what the next generations were doing, if they’d managed to get out of the organised crime business, or if his family’s ancestors were still deeply involved. He hoped they’d made it out, but that was their business now. It wouldn’t do any of them any good for him to re-enter their lives. He’d cause them more trouble than anything else.
A low growl of anger rumbled deep in Nikolai’s chest. If it had been anyone else asking this of him, he would have caught them up by the throat and thrown them from his penthouse by now, but this wasn’t anyone. Ivan Sokolov made him who he was today, and he owed him more than just his life.
“If you won’t say yes right away, at least come and meet with Deacon. He’ll be able to convince you that he’s genuine about wanting to do business with you.”
Nikolai scowled. “I don’t doubt that. It’s the kind of business he wants to do that’s the problem.”
“He trusts you, Nikolai. He’s seen you have a head for the market, and he thinks you’re the one who can make his money grow.”
“It’s where that money is coming from that concerns me.”
Ivan’s lips thinned, his nostrils flaring. “One meeting, Nikolai. That’s all I ask. Surely you can’t refuse me that?”                                                                                         
Nikolai clenched his jaw, his fists balled at his sides. Ivan had put him in an impossible place. His maker had never asked for a single thing from him as thanks and had helped him take down the man who’d arranged to end his human life—something that hadn’t been easy when he’d been a new vampire and not yet in control of his bloodlust. Ivan had taught him everything, and he wouldn’t have the life he had now if it hadn’t been for Ivan’s help. He was only asking for a meeting, and then Nikolai could tell the wolf to get lost face-to-face, if that was what he decided. He would be able to take the blame, rather than it falling on Ivan.
“Fine,” he relented. “Arrange the meeting.”
Ivan’s shoulders relaxed. “Thank you. I’ll set up a meeting for tomorrow night.”
Nikolai lifted a finger. “First, one thing. What did you do to give a wolf something to hold over you?”
Ivan pulled a face. “I slept with his daughter.”

Wednesday, April 25, 2018

Rebel Dragon by Anna Lowe


Off to Maui for a relaxing vacation? Hardly. Surfer Jenna Monroe is on the run from a stalker who lusts after her blood. Instead of combing the beach for lost treasures, she’s forced to venture deep into the terrifying world of shape shifters. There, even the good guys are hard to trust — all except for the hot-blooded rebel she can’t get out of her head.

Connor Hoving and his band of Special Forces shifters were planning to leave trouble behind by moving to Maui, but destiny has other ideas. His whole future — and that of his brothers — depends on acing his new job as head of security at an exclusive seaside estate. But Connor can barely get his inner dragon to focus with alluring, off-limits Jenna around. Can this rebel dragon learn to play by the rules when his fated mate’s life is on the line?





~ EXCERPT 


A bead of sweat built on her brow as Jenna concentrated on the feel of Connor’s body and the angle of the knife. The position of his elbow as he demonstrated the move, and the way the blade turned in her hand. Somehow, sensual and practical became one, and it didn’t matter which was which anymore.
“Now push my arm away, and aim here…” he murmured, pointing at a dip in his collarbone.
She was tempted to aim her lips there instead, but okay. As long as she got to stay this close to him…
Even cold and calculating terms like dig for the clavicular artery or go for the soft tissue of the neck wafted like clouds across the sky of her mind.
Connor started changing up his moves, catching her off guard, making the exercise more realistic. Then he pinned her arms behind her back. She wiggled and grunted, struggling to get free.
“So, are you ready to give up?” he asked, an inch from her ear.
Her blood rushed. “Hell no.”
He chuckled. “Good.”
He showed her how to break out of that hold, too, which was her favorite move yet. She got to go from having her back held firmly against Connor’s chest to turning to face him from an inch away.
“Now, let’s suppose he pushes you to the ground…” Connor said, hooking his foot around hers.
She didn’t fall because he lowered her gently and followed her down, pinning her knife hand above her head. His knees came down on either side of her hips, and his bare chest came parallel to hers.
Not a single alarm went off in Jenna’s mind, because it wasn’t intimidating at all. Just…good. Solid. Snug and secure. Her body was all achy, though, and her lips yearned for his.
“So you need to consider your options,” he said in a slightly hoarse voice.
Oh, she was considering her options, all right. Like using her free hand to guide his head down and get those hungry lips within reach.
His mouth opened and closed. A bead of sweat slid down his brow. That tic started up in his right cheek exactly as it had the night they’d kissed.
“Am I doing this right?” she mumbled, running her free hand along his ribs.
Connor closed his eyes and held perfectly still. “Too right,” he rasped.
Good. Then she’d do it a little more.
“I found a problem,” she whispered, tilting her head so that her hair swung away from her eyes.
“What problem?” His gaze dropped to her lips.
“What if I don’t want to get free?”
His nostrils flared, and he lowered his body until his chest rested on hers. Most of the weight was on his arms, making his biceps bulge.
“That is a problem,” he rumbled. “Especially since I don’t want to let you go.”



Monday, April 23, 2018

Wolf Pack Freebie Fest – April 2018




For the first time ever,

these shifter reads

are F*R*E*E!

April 24 – 27

REMEMBER!

Check prices before you buy.

They can change without notice.

If you see a book that isn’t fr*ee,

please check back later

as price changes may be delayed.





Gambling with magic, betting on love. A witch on a hit list and a cursed elf in sin city, their hearts and lives on the line.

CLICK HERE



Hailey had unintentionally invited the soul of a dragon into her own for safe keeping. But this was his eviction notice. She wanted him out of her head. Now.

Amazon US     Amazon UK

Amazon CA     Amazon AU





When several young women are murdered, detective Sydney Willows is forced to work with alpha vampire Kade to solve the case. But can she resist the arousing temptations sizzling between them?

Amazon US     Amazon UK

Amazon CA     Amazon AU


iBooks




This isn’t about the Hunger, Rogues, or Magic…it’s more than that…it’s the Goddess’ gift…Rafe’s Soulmate!

Amazon US     Amazon UK

Amazon CA     Amazon AU

Nook     iBooks

Kobo




Tragedy made her a shifter hunter. He would die to protect his family’s secrets. When business brings them together in Africa, sparks and claws will fly.

CLICK HERE




Khimairans were granted humanity by the gods…with a catch. In order to keep the gift a Khimairan shifter must find their mate or forever lose their humanity, trapped as a beast for all time.

Amazon US     Amazon UK

Amazon CA     Amazon AU




Gavin McLoughlin is the strongest, fastest, and most promising Dragoon of his graduation class. He has supportive friends, and the perfect girlfriend. Then one event changes everything, turning his whole life upside down.

CLICK HERE




A Wild Wolf, A Sexy As Sin Shifter, A Bond They Couldn’t Deny. Will Jett and Taryn be able to get their happily ever after, or will it be destroyed by their enemy?

CLICK HERE



A pair of immortal assassins, whose eternal love is on the rocks, must questions everything they believe true to stop a killer before its too late for his next victim—and their relationship.

CLICK HERE




How to steal a dragon prince’s heart? Step one: Enter his lair…

CLICK HERE




CLICK HERE to enter our giveaway!