Tipping the Scales: Three Lost Souls Face off against Pure Evil By: Leigh Hogan Enemies-to-Lovers MMF Erotic Paranormal Romance In Kindle Unlimited: https://www.amazon.com/Tipping-Scales-Three-Souls-against-ebook/dp/B07GPJLH2S Remember who yer friends are. We ain’t nice; we ain’t kind. We don’t give a **** if ya don’t like it, but if ya keep lookin’ down yer nose like that, someone’s gonna flatten it. —Esa Bo Morgan Greg Tucker lives the simple life of a small-town guy completing his master’s degree. When he decides to have a little fun at his closest friend’s expense, he discovers the unthinkable. His best friend, Colt Morgan, is The Cottonfield Reaper. Tuck knows only one solution. Esa vows to avenge his brother—until he finds evidence of Colt’s guilt. His own sins too grave for atonement, he seeks forgiveness from the person his sadism desires most, Tuck. Roxy Caldwell broke up with Tuck during their sophomore year of college for being overprotective. Working on her own master’s thesis, she spent two years devising an effective therapeutic intervention for Esa. Now she holds the key to controlling his rage. Roxy harbors a centuries-old secret of her own, one with a long memory and a lethal temper. While evils converge on Cottonfield, an unyielding lust compels them together. The force of their connection creates a bond stronger than any they've ever known. Together they learn the unsettling truth of their creation and the mysterious deaths that plague blood-drenched Cottonfield, Georgia. This leaves only one question to be answered: Are they powerful enough to tip the scales in the coming war? Trigger Warning: Esa was abused physically, mentally, and sexually. Despite both his strong constitution and Roxy's effective treatment plan, he gets triggered during this story. He doesn't want his past to hurt anyone; he prefers to hurt people personally. EXCERPT: Esa brushed a chaste peck against Roxy’s cheek. “I hope some lucky twit makes you a happy wife one day. ’Cause God help him if he don’t.” He plopped down beside Tuck to pinch his cheek and shake his jowls. “And you too, little guy.” Even as Tuck slapped his hands away, his wistful voice continued, “You were the best thing for Colt. Kept him outta the house but outta trouble. Made sure he never saw the worst of it.” Tuck studied the ceiling. “That week when you ran off? The belt down his back? Unreal. Colt brushed it off, said he’d earned it. But I could see him shake, not just hurt but furious. Only that once? In all these years? And I know he could be quite the little shit.” He summoned the courage to meet Esa’s gaze. “You made certain of that, no matter what it cost you? That’s damned impressive.” “What can I say, I’m an impressive guy.” For once Esa didn’t seem amused by his own quip. “I knew he’d go on to great things. If I could get him outta here in one piece.” When Esa thumped his side, Tuck slipped his hand between Esa’s fist and his ribs. And paid the price on the second hit. “Holy shit, that pinky still hurts.” He yanked his hand away and cradled it to his chest. Esa chuckled. “That’ll learn ya.” Roxy shook her head. “Look, my bed’s a king. As long as there’s no funny stuff, we’ll all fit just fine.” “That’s the best idea I’ve heard all day.” Tuck rose to his feet. He followed her through the dark apartment with Esa just behind. They settled in with Roxy in the middle. About the time sleep could have dragged him under, Tuck noticed a gentle rocking in the bed. “Oh, you two have gotta be shittin—” Roxy pressed her hand over his mouth. Curious now, he turned. Esa held her hip with one hand, the other lost in her hair. Eyes closed in sleep, he looked peaceful. Together they made Tuck’s chest ache, Esa’s dark skin against Roxy’s paleness, like a classic painting rendered in flesh and blood. Fantasies arose in his mind of sharing her as she lay between them. Of the enticing moans they could tease from her as they ravaged her body. Of her throwing her head back and begging for more. Of hard hands grabbing him in ways he’d never thought he’d desirez How the hell had the bully who’d terrorized him for as long as he could remember become so damned enticing? Oh, this had to stop. He’d expected it to be purged when Abuelita had destroyed the necklace. Yet the thoughts remained, unbidden and unwelcome but present all the same. Hell, Esa had been right about one thing; he had liked it. And now he couldn’t shake the urge to chase that high again. Unperturbed, completely ignorant of Tuck’s annoyance, Esa continued to rock in his sleep, like an infant finding comfort in the repetitive motion. Tuck and Roxy let him, their own slumber dragging them away to tranquil vistas of the mind. The dark figure, bones now cloaked in lustrous ebony feathers, joined Tuck in his dreamscape. “He’s loved you for a long time.” “Never seemed that way.” Tuck didn’t bother to look; he knew he’d regret seeing the creature’s face. “Seezed like he just enjoyed hurting us.” “Indeed he did. Very much in fact.” “So what do you want?” “Without my help you’ll fail. The monster will destroy this village.” “Oh?” “You must seize the grimoire before the head becomes prophetic.” “That seems a bit cryptic…” Tuck turned to face him. But the creature had gone. Author Bio I edit. I don’t write. But every once in a while, a batch of characters will pop up and beg me to tell their story. Inevitably they’ll get to 75,000 words and go silent. Smart alecks. So I inform them: I will not write another word until you have an ending. For three years, when they poke their little heads up and say, “Hey, wouldn’t it be interesting…" I tell them no way, no how, not without an ending. Then one little masculine voice sneaks in and says, “I have an ending. It’s just a flash piece. Surely you’ll write this one.” And so I do. Then a feminine little voice says, “Um, I’d like to get in on this.” So of course, I ask, “Do you have an ending?” A second masculine character struts in, sits on my desk, and informs me, “Hi, I’m a sadistic sociopath, and I’ll be yer antihero for the foreseeable future.” “You have an ending?” He cracks a grin, leans close, and whispers, “I have an ending.” Hmph, well, what now? “But sadistic sociopath? I know jack about sadistic sociopaths.” “Then, princess, ya better figure it out.” Okay, fine, I study up on everything there is to know about human evil. Meanwhile, the guys are jockeying for names, choosing both from the same show or movie: “If he gets to be Asa, then I get to be Hasil.” “Yeah, well if he gets to be Tucker, then I wanna be Dale.” Fortunately Piper latched on to her name and stood firm. Unfortunately, Peter the Cuban has a name too similar and too important to the feel of the story to change. So she gets a name change too. Then, once the flesh starts to fall on the bones, Alisha appears. Great, dissociative identity disorder, I know about that. Except she wants to be something else entirely. As the flesh solidifies, I realize her name is Coweta, a local native name meaning one who remembers, but it has cow in it. So it will change to a phonetic spelling. Great. All’s going according to plan. Then we hit the first sex scene. Asa asks, “You do realize I’m about to put both Piper and Tuck in the hospital, right?” “Um, no. Can this be averted?” His grin makes my skin crawl. “It’d take some strong juju.” “Major juju coming up.” Next thing I know, the demon’s name is Gary, and he’s as milquetoast as they come. Unlike his Kinky Kim, our Romanian fae, an iele. “Wait, no, Kim, the iele are virgin fae.” “Yes, and?” She blinks innocently at me. Don’t they know I have edits to finish? Social Media Links Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PureEvilSeries/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/HoganBLeigh/ Tumblr NSFW: https://ninivatellsstories.tumblr.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/niniva73/ Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Leigh-Hogan/e/B07GQY93JN/ BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/3526553776/ Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14592815.Leigh_Hogan/ Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/5939ca10679a/pureevilseries/
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What Makes Us Stronger by Marianne Rice http://smarturl.it/WhatMakesUsStronger At First Blush (A Well Paired Novel) http://smarturl.it/s58mzq Where There’s Hope (A Well Paired Novel) http://smarturl.it/wherethereshope Blurb Lily Novak’s life in Crystal Cove, Maine is just about perfect. She has a great group of friends, runs a successful day spa, and has managed to build her new life without anyone asking about her mysterious past. There’s nothing more she could want…except maybe to catch the eye of the gorgeous and introverted carpenter, who also happens to be her friend’s brother. Ty Parker knew fear in the Army, but nothing like the panic of seeing smoke billow from Lily’s building. When a dryer fire brings him face to face with the heart-stopping Lily Novak—and her lacy black thong—he can’t deny the chemistry sparking between them. As their feelings deepen, Lily’s evasiveness reignites the self-doubt Ty has been battling for years. Lily knows her secrets are putting her relationship with Ty at risk, but telling him the truth puts both their lives in danger. She’s just not sure she’s strong enough to sacrifice her heart to keep the man she loves safe from the secrets of her past. Excerpt: “I don’t want this to be a one-night thing.” “Technically it’s morning.” Nearly two. She hadn’t seen this side of night since she was twenty-one. “And I didn’t place you as a wise-ass either. There’s lots to learn about you, Lily Novak.” But not too much. “You have some mysteries yourself, Ty Parker.” “Maybe.” He glided his finger across her collarbone sending tingles of need and want through her body. “If I didn’t have Meatball…” The spell was broken, and Lily snorted out a laugh. “That sounds like the cheesiest line ever.” “It’s true.” The man was adorable in his ignorant confusion. “I know it’s true. But your dog. Seriously. Meatball? It kind of kills the mood here.” That lickable grin tugged at his lips again. “And what mood would that be?” “The one where I go back on my word and tie you to my bedpost.” Ty looked over her shoulder. “You don’t have a bedpost.” He licked his lips and hovered them over hers. “But I do.” |
AuthorLayna Pimentel is a multi published author of romance since 2013. Educated in computer technology, her true passion is all things romance: music, books, movies and food of course. pre-order todayout nowEventsArchives
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