BOOK SPOTLIGHT @InesWrites: The Loyal Steed by Ines Johnson #MFRWauthor

The Loyal Steed
Ines Johnson
Heartpsell Media, LLC

Jaspir has been in love with Lady Merlyn since they were children, but she has always been out of his reach. Trained as a Pleasure Hound and now surviving by selling his body to rich women, his heart has always remained loyal to his true love.

Liam was promised to Merlyn in their youth, but he’s always known that he's not the man in her heart. With their betrothal approaching, Liam seeks out Jaspir for help. Eager to ensure the happiness of the woman they both love, Jaspir agrees to train Liam in the pleasure arts.

What starts as rivals in an uneasy truce, soon turns carnal when Merlyn learns of their secret lessons. In a society where men are second class citizens, Merlyn is torn between the attentions of two men who would do anything to rule her heart.

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EXCERPT

""Our time is up, Merlyn.""
""Should I buy more?""
Jaspir hesitated. He closed his eyes, resting his forehead against hers. She had his heart, but he would never be allowed to possess hers. He set her back on her chair.
""No,"" he whispered. He lifted his head and looked into her eyes. ""No,"" he said more firmly.
Another hour, another day would change nothing. It had taken years to get over her. Who was he kidding? He'd never gotten over her. He never would.
""My time is up because you have another lover coming?"" she asked.
Jaspir pulled away from her, staring into her golden brown eyes. ""No. There is no one else.""
She cocked her head to the side, the birdlike motion signaling that she was investigating his words. Just as Merlyn only spoke facts, she had a knack for sensing when someone told half-truths.
""I have no other lovers coming today."" Something compelled him to go on, to assure her of her place in his heart. ""You own my heart, Merlyn. I have loved you, and only you, every day since the first day I met you. I will continue to love you every day of my life.""
She searched his eyes, her head cocking the opposite way as she considered every angle of his new statement. ""Why is it that I believe you? There is no possible way to prove your declaration. Love isn't a tangible thing that you can point to. It isn't measurable.""
Jaspir took her hand and placed it on his heart. ""Do you feel that? What reason does a heart have for racing?""
""It’s a fight or flight response from the autonomic nervous system.""
""Do you think I'm preparing to flee due to fear of you? Or that I'm preparing to harm you?""
Merlyn shook her head.
""Look at me, Merlyn. What do you see?""
""I see that your pupils are dilated."" Her eyes dipped lower. ""Your nostrils are flaring, and you are panting.""
""I can tell you that my stomach aches when I think of you. My palms sweat and I feel light headed. Not to mention what happens in my sex organs. That's nearly every system of the human body engaged at the very thought of you.""
""These symptoms happen every time you think of me?""
""Without fail.""
""Fascinating,"" she breathed, eyes bright.
Jaspir grinned at the curious creature before him. She pressed one hand to his heart. The other she ran over his forehead. Her fingers came away with beads of sweat. Her thumb returned and traced his lower eyelid.
""I'd like to study this phenomenon some more."" She looked into his eyes. Her own pupils were large, her nostrils flared, her breath came in small pants. ""May I return to make more observations?""

ABOUT Ines Johnson
Ines writes books for strong women who suck at love. If you rocked out to the twisted triangle of Jem, Jericha, and Rio as a girl; if you were slayed by vampires with souls alongside Buffy; if you need your scandalous fix from Olivia Pope each week, then you’ll love her books!

Aside from being a writer, professional reader, and teacher, Ines is a very bad Buddhist. She sits in sangha each week, and while others are meditating and getting their zen on, she’s contemplating how to use the teachings to strengthen her plots and character motivations.

Ines lives outside Washington, DC with her two little sidekicks who are growing up way too fast.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ineswrites
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ineswrites
Website: https://inesjohnson.wordpress.com/

The Roads Lead Back to #Thursday13 with #MFRWauthor @Marci Boudreaux

MFRW Author Marci Boudreaux  hosts this week's Thursday13.
As a teen, Marci Boudreaux skipped over young adult books and jumped right into the world of romance novels. She's never left. She lives with her husband, two kiddos, and their numerous pets. She recently hung up her journalism hat to focus on editing for several publishing houses, as well as writing. Romance is her preferred reading and writing genre because nothing feels better than falling in love with someone new and her husband doesn't like when she does that in real life.



The Roads Lead Back

Kara Martinson and Harry Canton weren’t exactly high school sweethearts, but they did share one night neither will ever forget. Twenty-seven years later, Harry runs into Kara and discovers he left her with more than just memories when he went away to college. Desperate to connect with the family he never knew existed, Harry convinces his son to move to Stonehill—and pleads with Kara to come, too.

Kara hasn’t stepped foot in their hometown since the day she was sent away to a home for unwed mothers. As they put together the pieces of their parents’ betrayal, old heartaches start to feel anew. She wants to be near her family, but returning to Iowa means facing some things…and some people…she isn’t quite ready to.

Can Harry convince her to forgive those who betrayed her so they can embrace the future they were robbed of so long ago.

Marci's 13 favorite quotes from The Road Leads Back:

1. “Congratulations, Harry. It’s a boy.”

2. “Honey, I was doing tequila shots before your daddy dropped his pants and made you.”

3. “For the better part of my life I thought you were Janis Joplin reincarnate, lately you look more like…Maya Devi.”

4. “Wow, Harry. Did you get this house from a How to Fit In with Society kit?”

5. “I know it was a long time ago, Harry, but finding out your parents sent me away to be rid of me instead of help me has churned up an awful lot of the hurt I felt back then. I came to terms with what my parents did, with how they didn’t want me. But your mother led me to believe she was taking care of me and, even if it was foolish, I believed her. I thought she wanted me, in her own way at least. Finding out she only wanted me to go away…it hurts.”

6. “Just pretend it’s made from organic, all natural, non-chemically enhanced, free-range chicken milk."

7. “That’s where my mom grew up? It’s so…normal.”

8. "Next weekend is my parent’s wedding anniversary. I’ve taken Mom out to dinner every year since Dad died. What am I supposed to do now? Take her out and act like everything is fine? ‘Hey, let’s just forget about that time you lied to me about being a father for twenty-seven years.’ I can’t do that.”

9. "You didn’t embarrass me. This one time, the day after high school graduation, I tried to sneak out of this girl’s house without everyone realizing I’d been dumped by this guy I’d just had sex with. That was embarrassing.”

10.“I know trusting doesn’t come easy to you. I know you’ve had a lifetime of feeling betrayed, but please, please trust in me. Believe in me. Let us have our life, Kara. The life we should have had.”

11. “I made a mistake. I was too scared to try to fix it. Being a parent means making mistakes; being scared that you’re going to lose the one thing that means the world to you. But those mistakes are made in the name of protecting your son.”

12. “Out of the blue, he’d talk about how you defended his Mount Rushmore project, or how you were a great artist. He’d see a painting and say something like, ‘Remember Kara Martinson—the girl I went to school with—I sure hope she’s still painting.’”

“Yeah, well, sometimes I’d see a man with his kid and think something like, ‘Remember Harry Canton—the boy who knocked me up and disappeared without a word—I sure hope he contracted an STD and his balls rotted off.’”

13. "Without you, I’m just another man getting through life without any spark, any color. You are my color. You always have been."

Buy link: Amazon

Marci Boudreaux can be found here:
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#MFRWauthor BOOK SPOTLIGHT: McKellan's Run by Nicole Hurley-Moore @NHurleyMoore

McKellan's Run
Nicole Hurley-Moore

Violet Beckett once made the mistake of falling for the wrong McKellan brother. Now, eight years later, fate has brought Violet back to her home town with her daughter, Holly.

As soon as Violet runs into Charlie ‘Mac’ McKellan, she wonders if she should run all the way back to the city. But something about him makes her want to linger. Can she trust him, can she trust herself or will she be burned again?

Charlie McKellan has had a soft spot for Violet Beckett for longer than he can remember. It almost killed him to watch his brother woo her, use her and finally lose her. From his very first encounter with Violet he’s hooked. But how can he convince her that not all McKellans are the same?

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EXCERPT

‘I think we got a bit carried away.’
‘That’s okay. We can slow things down, whatever you want, I’ll do it,’ Mac said his arms still wound around her.
‘I’m not sure if this is such a good idea, Mac, I mean with our history…’
‘What history? Violet what the hell are you talking about?’
‘Okay fine, the history I have with your family, with your brother.’
‘I don’t give a damn about the past, Violet. Screw the history – I just want a future, with you,’ he said as he released her.
Violet felt bereft without his touch. Here she was trying to do the right thing, the noble thing and not let him sacrifice himself. Mac deserved so much more.
‘You don’t mean that Mac. You’re just trying to fix things like you always do. You want to protect me and Holly and I can’t tell you how much that means to me. No one has ever wanted to do that before. But I can’t let you; it wouldn’t be fair.’ She reached out to him.
Mac snatched his arm away. ‘Is that what you think?’ he asked. ‘After what just happened? You think I’m with you out of some sort of misguided duty?’
‘You’re a good man but I’ve said it before, I’m not your mistake or your problem.’
He pushed away from the fence and walked away without a look or a word.
‘Mac! Mac, please don’t leave like this. Please don’t just walk away.’
He whirled around and faced her crossing his arms in front of his chest as if he was putting a barrier between them.
‘Is that the way you want to play it? Damned if I know if you’re stubborn or just plain blind. Either way, I can’t talk to you right now.’
‘Mac.’
‘Just leave it, Violet. Before something is said that can’t be taken back,’ he said turning again and walking away his anger palpable and the air almost crackling with tension. The look in his eyes made it clear she’d hurt him. She’d never meant that to happen.
‘Mac!’
He didn’t answer or stop, he just kept walking, his back stiff and unyielding.

ABOUT Nicole Hurley-Moore
Nicole lives with her family in an Australian rural town in the Victorian Central Highlands. She's a full-time writer and a fan of happily-ever-afters.

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