Book Highlight: Life of a Fool by CM Hutton

Title: Life of a Fool
Author: CM Hutton
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Honest Love Spin-off

Jason

I was a fool…
- for letting Lori Ann convince me that we were wrong for each other.

- for watching her walk away from me fifteen years ago and not stopping her.

- for not realizing she was in trouble.

- for thinking her nightmare, our nightmare was over.
I was a fool for letting my guard down.

And now, I’d do just about anything to keep her safe, including the most reckless, foolish thing a man — a cop, in fact — could do.
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Lori Ann

Jason saved me, only to nearly lose me forever.

We’d been fools to think Antonio wouldn't come after me. I was still his wife, after all. He’d hurt me, broken my arm and left me in pieces, but he wasn’t finished. He’d fooled me for years, made me believe he was a great man. Now that I knew the truth, I was going to fight like hell to save myself and Jason, to save the love we’d finally confessed.

I prayed that what I was about to do would be enough.

I was done being someone’s fool.

Purchase:

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Excerpt

Prologue

My life had been a nightmare.

My younger brother, the former NFL player turned firefighter, had been severely injured and on death’s door, as a matter of fact.  We’d been held hostage at the hospital for weeks.  His bride-to-be, Claire,was one of the strongest women I’d ever known…aside from my mom and Lori Ann.  Actually, they were probably all about equal in their feminine strength.

Damn…Lori Ann.  I needed to return her call.

Thankfully, Derek pulled through, married the love of his life, and they were expecting a baby.  I was really happy for him.  My little brother had seen more hard times than I cared to mention, and he’d finally found happiness with a woman that was pretty incredible.  Claire had been through her own share of shit and had risen above it.  I was in awe of the woman and loved her as fiercely as I did one of my blood family members. 

Truthfully, seeing Derek find his soul mate, at the age of thirty-five, made me jealous.  I was his older brother.  And although thirty-seven wasn’t that old, I felt ancient.  Perhaps, it was due to the stress of holding us all together these last few weeks while we watched Derek struggle for his life.  Maybe it was the ache I felt seeing him so happy. 

I’d dated plenty of girls.  They were nice, kind…some a little kinky, but not one of them held my heart…held my soul in their hands. 

Only one had that privilege, and she was already taken.  

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About Honest Love

Starting over was never easy for anyone.
I’d heard the stories over and over.
But after the hell my ex-husband had put me through over the last year, over the last twenty years…well, I was ready to move on, repair what was left of my shattered heart and find someone to share my life with—someone who would put me first.
I deserved it. I’d done my time being in her shadow, being a cheap understudy, always second. For. All. Those. Years.
Never again.
Our move to San Diego provided a fresh start, a new place away from all the hurt and memories. Life as a single mom to three teenagers had its' challenges, but we were adjusting and my kids were doing well.
It was time to focus on my happiness, for once. I had a huge capacity to love and I wanted to share my love with a man that respected it, accepted it and gave it in return.
It was just a matter of time before he found me and showed me what true, honest love was all about.

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Excerpts

Claire

Every now and then, during his session, I’d notice an odd glance or two from him, but ignored it. I didn’t want his negative shit adding to my own. This was my job. I was his physical therapist, not his friend or counselor, and this job was what would keep me going while I learned to wrap my head around my new life. 

Derek didn’t say much. He grunted a few times when I pushed him harder, but other than that, nothing.

It wasn’t until we were just about done and I was giving him our customary mini relaxation massage, that I took the opportunity to really take a good look at him. Derek removed his shirt as he laid face down on the massage table in my therapy room and an involuntary gasp escaped from me. 

Wasn’t expecting that.  

Most patients didn’t remove their clothing as these massages were only meant to relieve the tension built up in the body as a result of the stress from working an injury.  He’d apparently heard me because a small, stupid grin turned up on one corner of his mouth. I ignored him.

He was tall and lean, not too bulky, and his skin was tan and smooth…defined. I noticed a few tattoos on his ribs. I’d never been much on body ink, but it was sexy on Derek and I couldn’t stop staring at it as I slowly rubbed the tension from his neck and shoulders. 

Yeah, you could say I was attracted to him. 

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Derek

Claire seemed nice. Actually she seemed like she probably wouldn’t take any crap from me. And I didn’t think she knew who I was…always a good thing. 

She was good at her job. I had a feeling I’d be back on the truck soon. My life as a firefighter was about all I had to keep my mind occupied. Football used to do that for me. 

Nothing but tainted memories now.

I shook my head, brushed off my thoughts and focused more on my new therapist. I’d asked her a few questions, which she answered willingly. I was curious about Claire, but my pissy mood made my questions come out way too harsh and nasty.

I just hoped I could stop staring at her. She was shorter than me. Maybe 5’5” with beautiful blonde hair and amazing brown eyes. Not who I would typically pay attention to, but what the hell did I know? The only girl I’d ever loved was Claire’s complete opposite with dark brown hair, blue eyes and really tall.  She’d also ripped my heart out and practically ate the damn thing right in front of me. 

Maybe Claire was just what I needed. 

But first, I had to find out more about her past and what lead her to San Diego.

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About the Author

I’m a wife, a mom of three, a friend, an aunt, a sister, a daughter and a teacher.  Now, I can add writer to my list!  I’ve always wanted to write and finally found inspiration and support to do it.  

I live near Austin, Texas with my family and love to read and travel.  Put me on a beach with a good book and the world just disappears around me.

Paradise Taken was my first novel and is a highly emotional book based on true events.  Its sequel (Saving Us) was released February 2014. 

I love that you are willing to take a chance on a new writer and promise to keep striving to put out great books!  Be sure to check out my newest releases, including Honest Love, which was released in June 2014 and Life of a Fool, the second London Brothers novel, will be available November 6, 2014.

I'd love to chat with you, so look me up on any of my social pages.  

Happy Reading.  :)

CM Hutton

cm.hutton@yahoo.com

Amazon | B&N | Facebook | Twitter | Blog | Goodreads 

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Giveaway

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Guest Post by Vincent Panettiere, Author of A Woman to Blame

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About The Author

Vincent Panettiere is a former literary agent, representing writers and directors in televIsion and film. At the same time he was certified by the Major League Players Association (MLBPA) to represent major league baseball players. Previously he was an executive with Twentieth Century Fox and CBS.

 

 A WOMAN TO BLAME is his first novel. Previously he wrote and published The Internet Financing Illusion which investigated the dark side of the Internet and the scams committed upon unsuspecting businessmen.

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About the Book

A thoroughbred race horse collapses and dies after finishing last in a race he was favored to win. Hours later the stallion’s trainer,  a young woman with a promising career, is found dead on a suburban Chicago beach.

 

A woman to blame? The police draw a facile solution - murder/suicide. Mike Hegan, a veteran police detective being forced to retire on medical disability, refuses to believe the official version. His search for the truth leads him to a promontory on a Caribbean island where scores are settled and lives lost.

Links

Amazon UK  |  Amazon US

Website  |  Goodreads  |  Twitter

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Guest Post by Vincent Panettiere

I wrote my first short story when I was in high school. Of course I didn’t know how to write a short story and had never taken any courses  in writing. But I had written for my high school newspaper...So. I sent it to a “woman’s magazine”; the kind that used to be sold at supermarket check-out counters. Either Family Circle or Woman’s Day or both. Another first -it was rejected.

 

On one rejection slip was a hand written note that began “...though you are young...” don’t remember the rest but it was encouraging overall and I did keep it in my wallet - the way other high school boys used to keep a condom (As if!) - until it got moldy.

 

Unbowed, I showed the story to my high school English teacher who - because divorce was mentioned in the story - thought I had written a “cry for help.”

 

When my father learned I had written the story he bought my first typewriter which I still have - eons later - and which worked perfectly until I had it cleaned.

 

I wrote for my college newspaper and literary magazine - short stories, book reviews etc.

 

After graduating from college I wrote for a wire service and daily newspaper in Boston. It was somewhere around that time I decided I needed to get serious about a career and ended up in public relations. I was still writing but it was boiler plate stuff.

 

Years later I started writing screen plays and submitting them to studios in California. They came back too. A woman at one studio suggested I move to Los Angeles and give it a shot. I did and within a few years sold four film projects. None were produced. Quelle surprise!

 

Through a friend I was hired by a literary agency - then started my own. I figured I could combine my promotion skills with my ability to write. Ten years later I closed the agency wrote my first book The Internet Financing Illusion - a tour of the Internet underworld. From there it was another leap to my first novel, A Woman To Blame.

 

Originally it was written as a film script - n.b. this advice - do not throw out anything you’ve written. The book is superior to the script and more fun to write.

 

I’ve recently finished a second novel.

 

What is the meaning of my long and winding road? Can’t tell as I am not at the end.

 

I often wonder if I had not “gotten serious” about starting a career perhaps I’d have written more books by now. We’ll never know.

 

I do know that it is very important not to give up; not to give in to the opinions of others - even if they out-stature you - i.e. professors, parents, friends, literary agents are in that category.

 

Be true to yourself (a blatant cliché) and trust yourself (another one). If you do that you’ll never have any regrets.

 

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Bound by Blood by Margo Bond Collins ~ Available for Pre-Order!

Hi, everyone! My new Night Shift series novella, Bound by Blood, is now available for pre-order and will be delivered Monday, November 10!

Bound by Blood is set in the Night Shift world, and complements Sanguinary, but it is also a stand-alone work.


 

Sometimes the monsters in the dark are real...

As a child, Lili Banta ignored her grandmother's cryptic warnings to avoid children outside their Filipino community in Houston. When many of those other children fell ill, Lili ignored the whispers in her community that a vampiric aswang walked among them.

Years later, Lili returns to Houston to work for the Center for Disease Control—but she is plagued by dark, bloody dreams that consume her nights and haunt her days. When a strange illness attacks the city's children, Lili is called in to find its source, and maybe even a cure.

But in order to save the city, she must first acknowledge the sinister truth: A monster stalks the night—closer than she ever expected....

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Excerpt

Sitting straight up in bed, I gasped and threw myself back against the headboard, the thud dying away along with the remaining shreds of my dream.

But the word still ricocheted through my mind.

Aswang.

Until yesterday, I hadn't thought of the term in years—not since I'd left Houston for med school in Maine, determined to get as far away from home as I could.

But this resurgence of the same, odd illness that had swept my city years before was apparently also dredging up the old stories from deep in my subconscious: the aswang, a vampiric woman who lived a quiet life by day and fed on children in the night, flying back home on bat-wings just before dawn.

My unconscious mind had clearly also expanded on the idea, casting me in the role of aswang and adding schizoid conversations with a chorus of internal voices.

Great. I'm insane in my dreams.

And I'm a monster.

Shuddering, I wiped my hand across my gritty, raw eyelids.

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Order via Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Bound-Blood-Night-Shift-Novella-ebook/dp/B00PB3AIGC/

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About the Author



Margo Bond Collins is the author of urban fantasy, contemporary romance, and paranormal mysteries. She has published a number of novels, including Sanguinary, Taming the Country Star, Legally Undead, Waking Up Dead, and Fairy, Texas. She lives in Texas with her husband, their daughter, and several spoiled pets. Although writing fiction is her first love, she also teaches college-level English courses online. She enjoys reading romance and paranormal fiction of any genre and spends most of her free time daydreaming about heroes, monsters, cowboys, and villains, and the strong women who love them—and sometimes fight them.

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Connect with Margo

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/margobondcollins
Email: MargoBondCollins@gmail.com
Website: http://www.MargoBondCollins.net
Blog: http://www.MargoBondCollins.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MargoBondCollin  @MargoBondCollin
Google+: https://plus.google.com/116484555448104519902
Goodreads Author Page: http://www.goodreads.com/vampirarchy
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/MargoBondCollins
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/mbondcollins/

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Plotting and Planning, by Suz DeMello

Hey there, aspiring authors! Ever wondered how an author plots and writes a book?

Wonder no more! Suzie deMello is here to tell you the secrets, or at least a few of them.

Plotting and Planning is Suzie’s second writing treatise, following the best-selling Write This, Not That!

   

 

Another engaging, witty writing primer from Suz deMello, whose Write This, Not That! was an Amazon bestseller.

 

Plotting, point of view, character creation, conflict and much more are examined in this brief but pithy writing manual. A must for the serious writer who wants the basics without boredom.

 

 

Here’s an excerpt to pique your interest:

 

How does an author write a book?

 

Unfortunately for aspiring authors, this is not an easy question to answer. It's tantamount to asking, Where do authors get their ideas? which, believe me, is our least favorite question. I often tell people I get them at Sears—they're sold by the dozen in the basement between the barbecues and the bikes.

In reality, I get my ideas from almost anywhere. Maybe a magazine article about a place or event. Perhaps someone I meet or something a person says may trigger a train of thought that will eventually lead to a book. Maybe travel to someplace new ignites the creative spark that will inspire me.

Here's a better question: What are the building blocks of plot and story?  

If you like what you read, here’s where you can buy the ebook:  http://tinyurl.com/deMelloPlotting  

About Suz deMello        

Best-selling, award-winning author Suz deMello, a.k.a Sue Swift, has written seventeen romance novels in several subgenres, including erotica, comedy, historical, paranormal, mystery and suspense, plus a number of short stories and non-fiction articles on writing. A freelance editor, she’s held the positions of managing editor and senior editor, working for several including Totally Bound and Ai Press. She also takes private clients. Her books have been favorably reviewed in Publishers Weekly, Kirkus and Booklist, won a contest or two, attained the finals of the RITA and hit several bestseller lists. A former trial attorney, her passion is world travel. She’s left the US over a dozen times, including lengthy stints working overseas. She’s now writing a vampire tale and planning her next trip.

Check out Suzie's site: http://www.suzdemello.com
And her blog: http://www.TheVelvetLair.com

Waiting On Wednesday: Adrianne James's Box Set ~ Mackenzie Duncan Series

Title: The Mackenzie Duncan Box Set

Author: Adrianne James

Genre: New Adult, Paranormal Romance

Includes: The Tempering, The Enlightening, The Uprising

Mackenzie Duncan's whole life is ripped from her by the teeth of a strange wolf with yellow-green eyes. Learning quickly that she now lived by the moon cycles was hard enough, but finding her heart torn between two hot Werewolves amidst the blood and violence her new life brought was almost too much to handle. When her new pack's secrets came to light, Mackenzie's conscious wouldn't let her stay quiet. Follow along the amazing journey as Mackenzie fights for what her heart wants and what her kind needs.

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The Tempering, book #1

The Mythology department at prestigious Harvard University is tiny—and Mackenzie Duncan has just been selected as one of the lucky few. Her love for myths and legends is strong, but she never thought any of it could be real.

After being attacked by a large wolf while walking home alone, Mackenzie realizes something is not right. She heals quickly, is suddenly super strong, and is experiencing mood swings that can't possibly be normal. The myths she's studying aren't myths at all. Werewolves are real and she's one of them. Fear of what she is, and who she might hurt sends Mackenzie running from the life she’s worked hard to build–and straight into the arms of a handsome Were named Geoff and into the home of his pack. Living with her new pack takes the edge off her confusion and self-loathing, but the arrival of new pack members changes the dynamic, and tests Geoff and Mackenzie’s growing relationship.

The hardest part of being a werewolf is having no control and no memory of her time as a blood thirsty beast. When a moon cycle passes and she actually remembers bits and pieces of the night, she starts to ask questions, and the more questions she asks, the more she realizes she doesn't like the answers. Can she set aside her own sense of morals to belong to a pack that is like a family or will she leave everything behind yet again in search of a life she can be proud of?

The Enlightening, book #2

Mackenzie Duncan found out that pack life wasn’t for her. Now she is running for the second time in the six months since she was bitten and turned into a Werewolf. But this time, she isn’t alone. This time, she has Geoff and Liam with her, two very hot Werewolves vying for her heart.

But her companions aren't her focus. The only thing she can focus on is getting far from her old pack and their murderous ways. Only, she doesn’t just want to run. She wants to warn every pack she can that their lives are in danger too. No one should be turned against their will like she was and no other pack should have to surrender to the ideas of a centuries old, power hungry woman.

Not only does Mackenzie have to deal with her crazy ex-pack leader sending people out to kill her, she has to keep both men at arm’s length (and that proves to be much more difficult than she thought), but she finds out more about her own life and heritage than she ever thought imaginable.

And suddenly, everything makes sense...

The Uprising, book #3

Ever since Mackenzie Duncan watched her skin knit together after being ripped apart by a blood thirsty Werewolf, her life has been anything but normal. After being part of a pack with more secrets than the FBI, Mackenzie left and tried not to look back. Her old pack leader Margaret, a Royal wolf hungry to regain the throne and rule over all the world’s Werewolves, made that impossible. Figuring out who to trust was full of heart break, but moving forward left her with a clear path ahead.

After Mackenzie found out that she, too, is part of the Royal blood line and that she had inadvertently endangered every pack she came into contact with, she feels that it is her duty to help stop Margaret at all costs before any more blood is shed or another life is lost.

Despite traveling the world with Liam, the man she loves, her life is in danger at every turn in her hunt for other Werewolves willing to stand against Margaret. Who better to fight then the blood line that shunned the role of power centuries ago?

Bloody battles surround her at every turn and when Mackenzie thinks all is lost, she has to find a way to embrace her past and accept her future.

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About Adrianne James

Growing up, Adrianne couldn't get her hands on enough books to satisfy her need for the make believe. If she finished a novel and didn't have a new one ready and waiting for her, she began to create her own tales of magic and wonder. Now, as an adult, books s till make up majority of her free time, and now her tales get written down to be shared with the world.
During the day, Adrianne uses her camera to capture life's stories for clients of all ages and at night, after her two children are tucked in bed; she devotes herself to her written work. Adrianne is living the life she always wanted, surrounded by art and beauty, the written word and a loving family.
Paranormal Romance is Adrianne's most loved genre, but you will find she dabbles in contemporary stories as well. But one thing is for sure, Adrianne writes strong heroines and strong loves.  Website | Twitter ____________________________________________________________
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Winner Takes All Giveaway ~ Organized by Rainy Kaye, Author of Summoned

Scroll to the bottom to enter to win all 28 ebooks! There's a little of everything, for a total of over $85 worth of ebooks. Winner takes all!

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Book Blitz & Giveaway ~ Fairy, Texas by Margo Bond Collins

 

Fairy, Texas (Fairy, Texas #1)

by Margo Bond Collins 

Release Date: 02/06/14

Summary from Goodreads:

 

 

Laney Harris thinks there might be monsters in Fairy, Texas.

She's right.

When her mother remarried and moved them to a town where a date meant hanging out at the Sonic, Laney figured that "boring" would have a whole new meaning. A new stepsister who despised her and a high school where she was the only topic of gossip were bad enough. But when she met the school counselor (and his terminal bad breath), she grew suspicious. Especially since he had wings that only she could see. And then there were Josh and Mason, two gorgeous glimmering-eyed classmates whose interest in her might not be for the reasons she hoped. Not to mention that dead guy she nearly tripped over in gym class. 

Boring takes on an entirely new dimension in Fairy, Texas.

If she's going to survive in this small town, she'll have to learn to wing it.

 

 

Buy Links:

Amazon│Barnes& Noble│Books-a-Million│Book Depository

About the Author

Margo Bond Collins is the author of a number of novels, including Sanguinary, Taming the Country Star, Waking Up Dead, Fairy, Texas, and Legally Undead. She lives in Texas with her husband, their daughter, and several spoiled pets. She teaches college-level English courses online, though writing fiction is her first love. She enjoys reading romance, urban fantasy, and paranormal fiction of any genre, and spends most of her free time daydreaming about heroes, monsters, cowboys, and villains, and the strong women who love them.

Connect with Margo

Amazon│Email│Website│Blog│Twitter│Google+│Goodreads│Facebook│Pinterest

 

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