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The Best Mistake * Author Bethany Shaw * Cover Reveal * December 15-16, 2014
15 Dec 2014 Leave a comment
in Cover Reveal Tags: Amazon Indie Author Bethany Shaw, Architecture, Author Bethany Shaw, Available in Ebook and Paperback, Available on Amazon Soon, Bethany Shaw, Blizzard, Collage Student, Contemporary Romance, December 2014 New Release, Derrick, Holidays, Indie, Indie Author, New Adult Contemporary Romance Genre, New Age Contemporary Romance, New Age genre, New Age Romance Genre, New York, Olivia, One Night Stand, Snow, Snowed In, Stand Alone
The Best Mistake
Cover Reveal
December 15-16, 2014
Author Bethany Shaw
Contemporary New Age Romance
Cover Art – Anna Burr
Releasing December 20, 2014
Synopsis
No. No. No. Olivia didn’t have one-night stands. But she can fix it. All she has to do is sneak out undetected and forget the whole thing ever happened. Wrong. Luck is not on her side.
Derrick can’t believe it when he wakes up alone after the best night of his life. He’s supposed to be the one to slip away in the middle of the night. But Olivia wasn’t his typical pickup—she was different. Now she’s gone, and he has no idea if he’ll see her again. Lucky for him, she might be closer than he realizes.
Finding her is easy, convincing her that they should be a couple—not so much.
Stand-Alone Novel
Chapter One
Olivia blinked her eyes open, slowly taking in the dimly lit room. The beige walls and bright carpet sent a chill up her spine. I’m in a hotel. She froze, her heart beating rapidly as the events of last night quickly played through her head. The bed groaned and shifted beneath her. She clutched the crisp white sheets in her hand as she sat up. Her eyes flew to the half-naked, or was he totally naked man next to her. The red and gold comforter pooled around his hips, giving her a good view of his toned back. Four long red marks trailed down his left shoulder. Are those scratches? Did I do that? Yes. Oh my god. What did I do?
Swallowing, she quietly eased out of bed, keeping the sheets pressed against her bare chest. The sheets caught and the man stirred, rolling to his side. Olivia cringed, holding her breath as she stared, praying the man didn’t wake. His eyes stayed shut. She let out a relieved breath and ran her free hand through her long chestnut locks. I need to get out of here before he does wake up.
Her eyes lingered on his face a moment longer. Stubble adorned his jaw. His cocoa hair was mussed as if someone had run their fingers through it all night long. Yeah. You did. She flinched at the reminder.
Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. I don’t even know this guy. Do I even know his name? One-night stands weren’t her thing. And she couldn’t even blame it on liquor. She hadn’t been drunk—or even drinking.
But she had been emotional and clearly stupid. No more solo trips out for dinner. I can’t trust myself.
Stop thinking about last night. Find your clothes and get out of here before he wakes up. Holy crap, what if he wakes up before I’m gone?
Focus.
Olivia swallowed as she shifted on her feet. Did she drop the sheet or try to tug it out from under him? Her fingers curled around the edges tighter. Before you do anything, find out where your clothes are. Her eyes flitted over the bright blue and gold carpet in search of her garments. Her shirt and bra were a few feet away, her jeans and panties a few feet further, and her shoes and purse were a few feet from the door. She closed her eyes and sucked in a deep breath. Then dropped the sheet and ran through the bedroom, scooping up her clothes. She hopped on one foot as she slid her jeans on and buttoned them. Then she tugged her sweater over her head, suppressing a curse as a button snagged her hair. She twisted in an attempt to assess the damage. A thick lock of hair was wound around the clear button. Seriously? Come on.
Olivia mumbled under her breath as she hurriedly untangled her hair. Dressed, she picked up her flats and purse, and tiptoed to the bedroom door. She turned, taking one last look back at him. Derrick. His name was Derrick. Last night had been fun and he did seem like a nice guy.
But she was too ashamed and embarrassed at what she had done to stick around. Not to mention, wouldn’t it be awkward? What would they say to each other? What if he expected her to be gone? She shuddered. Leaving was the best solution.
Olivia bit her lip, carefully opening the door. The door squeaked and she cringed, stealing a fleeting look at the bed. Her pulse roared in her ears. Please don’t wake up. Derrick didn’t budge. She held her breath, pulling the door open far enough for her to slip through. Once the door was open she eased into the hallway.
A relieved breath escaped her lungs as she closed the door behind her. She leaned against the cool door for a moment while she gathered her wits. After a long moment, her racing pulse calmed and she set her flats on the floor and slid her feet into her shoes.
Then she dug into her purse and pulled out a small brush and hair tie, quickly pulling her tousled brown locks into a ponytail. At least this way, the only people who would know she was doing the walk of shame would be her roommates. Please let it be late enough that they won’t be home. If they were home, she would have to deal with their questions. At least she didn’t live with her parents. She could only image what her mother would say.
Focus on getting home, Olivia, she chided herself.
Olivia rushed down the stairs and out onto the busy street. She bit her lip as she assessed her location. Having gone to school at Patterson University for the past three years, she knew the area well. It only took her a short minute to figure out where she was and where the closest train station was.
Hiking her purse up on her shoulder, she walked briskly down the street, nodding her head at the occasional passerby. Judging by the pink hue of the sky, it was still early. She could go home shower and spend the rest of the day in bed with a quart of ice cream and sappy movies.
After yesterday, she needed a day to herself.
***
Olivia slid her key into the lock and twisted the knob, letting herself into her apartment.
“Olivia.”
She looked up at the sound of her name and suppressed a groan. Her roommate, Elena, was sprawled across the couch.
“Didn’t you wear that yesterday?” Elena asked, quirking her brow up in question as she smiled. “You and Tyler are back together?” She sat up, tucking her legs underneath her as she studied Olivia closely.
Olivia sighed. I’m so busted. “I wasn’t at Tyler’s,” she said meekly, avoiding Elena’s wide chocolate eyes.
“Wait. What?” Elena said, standing up. “Where were you?”
“I had lunch with Tyler,” she started. “It started out okay, and then he started planning our future again and I just got so mad,” she clenched her fists tightly as she recalled the conversation. “I don’t know why he thinks I should just drop everything and move across the country. I still have a whole year left of school. And he just assumes I’m going…” she vented, shaking her head. “Anyway, I wandered around downtown for a while and ended up at Louie’s. I got talking to this guy and went home with him,” she admitted as she slumped down in the plush green lounge chair.
“Olivia that isn’t like you. Were you drinking? Did he take advantage of you?” Elena asked worried.
“I wasn’t drunk. I didn’t have anything to drink. I don’t know why I did it. I mean, I guess I do. He was nice and we got to talking—he was really easy to talk to. He was pretty hot too. He had dimples, and oh God his stubble was just right,” she said, closing her eyes, and bringing his face back into her mind. “And the sex was…” she trailed off unable to find a word worthy of describing it.
“Olivia,” Elena gasped. “What about Tyler? Are you sure you two are really over? I know things are bad now, but you have been together for years.”
“I don’t see how I can be with some one who won’t even talk to me before making life changing decisions,” she sighed. “If he’s acting like this now, how will he be when we’re married?” she voiced her concerns out loud.
Elena nodded in understanding and gave her a sympathetic look. “I know how happy you two are…were. Is there no way you can work through it?”
“The only reason he invited me out yesterday was to try and convince me again to move with him. Seriously, who does he think he is? He accepts this job without even talking to me about it, and expects me to move with him. Oh, and he was sure to mention how hard I’ve been working to get my degree. Do you want to know what the kicker is?” she didn’t wait for Elena to respond. “He said I could drop out of school and he would support the two of us. Who does he think I am? I have worked too damn hard to get to where I am to just sit idly by the pool everyday.”
“Ok,” Elena said, slowly, shaking her head her brown hair cascading over her shoulders. “You’ve been together for what three years now? You don’t just go out and sleep with a random stranger a few days after you break up. That isn’t like you Olivia,” she said, worriedly. “And really. I would love it if a man told me not to work.”
Olivia scoffed. Maybe Elena would love that life, but she found it downright insulting. “Please. I don’t want to be dependent on anyone. And like I said, I didn’t mean to sleep with him it just happened.”
“Still, Olivia, it’s not like you to sleep around like that. Even if things are bad with Tyler, this is out of character for you. Are you sure everything is okay? Nothing happened to you?”
Olivia looked at Elena seriously. “I’m fine. Yes, I acted irrationally, but I was in my right frame of mind. I don’t know how to describe it there was just something about him…Derrick. I felt like I could talk to him about anything. And things have been off with Tyler for a while. Last night was just a breaking point. But it was a one-time thing. It’s not happening again,” she assured her friend. “I mean, I snuck out this morning and didn’t leave a number and I don’t have his…” more than likely, she’d never see him again. It was probably for the best. It would give her time to focus on her studies. She only had one more year until she graduated and a dissertation paper to work on. Now wasn’t the right time to be starting a new relationship.
Even if she wasn’t looking for a relationship with Derrick, she doubted she would forget him anytime soon. He had been funny and caring. And it helped that he’d been amazing in bed, but most of all there had been a connection—one that she’d never felt with Tyler. She shook her head. It didn’t matter it was a one-time thing. She needed to focus on school.
***
Derrick reached out for the brunette, hoping to continue what they had started last night. He’d had his fair share of women, but this one in particular, there was something about her. Maybe it was because he had actually talked to her before they’d had sex. Either way, last night was a night he wouldn’t soon forget.
His hand continued to fumble through the soft sheets in search of…Olivia. The sheets were cold—she wasn’t there. He frowned, opening his eyes so he could confirm her absence. She was definitely gone. When had she left? Could she possibly be in the bathroom?
Getting up, he tossed on a pair of boxers and trudged through the few feet to the bathroom. The door was open and the light off. She was gone. A feeling of dread filled him and he let out a long breath as he ran a hand through his matted cocoa hair. Since when had he become such a heavy sleeper? Probably around the time you had mind-blowing sex multiple times with a hot brunette. He didn’t do relationships, but he wanted to see her again—at least one more time. Perhaps she’d left her number.
His eyes roamed over the hotel desk and end tables. Nothing.
~*~*~*~
Author Biography
Bethany Shaw has lived in Ohio her entire life. She is happily married to her husband of nine years and together they have two wonderful children.
They also share their home with three dogs and two cats.
Most of the time, she has at least one of her pets by her feet while she writes. Writing has always been a passion of hers and she is thrilled to pursue her dreams.
She enjoys reading romances, young adult and fantasy.
Follow the Author
Facebook / Tumblr / Goodreads / Amazon / Twitter
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BethanyShawNovels
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7236218.Bethany_Shaw
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Bethany-Shaw/e/B00EZR0JLO/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Bethany17801501
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Read more by…
Bethany Shaw
Forbidden Hope
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1yzSsHX
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/forbidden-hope-bethany-shaw/1120876121?ean=2940151759441&itm=1&usri=2940151759441
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id949900740
Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/forbidden-hope
scribd: https://www.scribd.com/book/249641724/Forbidden-Hope-Werewolf-Wars-1
PF: http://www.inktera.com/store/title/ffb4d0e5-791d-403f-8513-ea0f2ac53ba6
Out of the Shadows
Barnes&Noble / Amazon / iTunes
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ES2GX3O
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/out-of-the-shadows-bethany-shaw/1117494699?ean=2940148878179&itm=1&usri=2940148878179
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id764899884
Into the Unknown
Amazon / Barnes&Noble / iTunes
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Into-Unknown-Werewolf-Wars-Novel-ebook/dp/B00I5S0GLW/ref=pd_sim_kstore_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=06BBRJC27TB37C66ZRHG
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/into-the-unknown-bethany-shaw/1118057702?ean=2940148203001
Finding Our Way
Amazon/Kobo/iTunes/Barnes&Noble
Amazon: http://amzn.to/YUbfgD
Lost and Found
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1ywHPC7
The Werewolves Series Box Set
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1DKs3qf
~*~*~*~
Coming January 2015
Book 1
Sanctuary
A New Paranormal Romance Series by Author Bethany Shaw
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Hosted By
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Private North by Tess Oliver
08 Jan 2014 Leave a comment
in Blog Tour, Romance Book Reviews Tags: Amazon, Ancient Egypt, Antiquities, Blog Tour, Book Review, Christmas, College Romance, Facebook, Goodreads, Indie Author, Love, New Adult Romance Genre, Romance, Snow, Tess Oliver, Thriller
Private North
Author Tess Oliver
Blog Tour and Review
Publication Date: December 10, 2013
New Adult Contemporary Romance
Synopsis
When August “Auggie” Stonefield accepts an unpaid internship working for her favorite professor, she figures it will make for a quiet, uneventful winter break. But when the professor’s son, Dalton North, returns home broken and weary from the war, things are anything but quiet. And in the icy cold midst of winter, August Stonefield loses her heart and finds a burning passion she never knew she had.
An internship cataloguing ancient pottery. A war-hardened soldier who’s impossible to resist. A priceless Egyptian artifact. And a devious scheme that is fraught with danger. Antiquities major, Auggie Stonefield, is about to experience a winter break she will never forget.
Book Excerpt:
I pulled the cover up to my chin like I’d done as a young girl when I was certain the closet monsters were coming out to get me, but I couldn’t relax enough to sleep. The house was quiet and dark again. I climbed back into my slippers. I peeked out into the hallway and everything was still. I tiptoed to the kitchen hoping a glass of milk would make me sleepy.
I scuttled around the corner, and a gasp stuck in my throat. The refrigerator door was open, and the light pouring out illuminated his broad bare back, showing every line of hard muscle . . . and every small scar. There were many. His pajama pants hung low on his narrow hips, and I stood as quiet as a mouse for a guilty second and stared at his incredible physique.
He still had not heard me, and I wondered if he was still lost in the agony of his bad dream. I tiptoed without a sound, but as I neared he seemed to sense me. He continued to stare into the refrigerator as if he expected something to jump out into his hands.
“I’m sorry if I woke you.”
“Please don’t apologize.” His shoulders tensed as I moved closer to him. Even in front of an open refrigerator, heat rolled off of him in searing waves.
He shut the door but didn’t turn around. He leaned his forehead against the freezer door. I stepped closer. My hand trembled slightly as I reached up and touched him. The muscles of his back tightened and then relaxed. I trailed my fingers over the tiny scars that were splattered across his shoulders. The tiny ridges were hard, and I could feel the pain of each one in my fingertips. I stood on my toes and lowered my mouth to his skin. He sucked in a sharp breath as I pressed my lips to the scars. I kissed him over and over again wanting to absorb the pain that still clung to him physically and mentally. And he let me kiss him. His broad shoulders lifted and fell with each shallow breath as I ran my lips across his marred skin.
**Excerpt**
“Tell me what to do.” I kissed his neck. “I want you to forget the pain, all of it,” I whispered. I pushed his long hair behind his ear. “I want you to feel only me, touching you, kissing you.” I took his bottom lip between my two lips and tugged on it. “I’ll do anything . . . just ask.”
Dalton North POV:
This isn’t in the book, Tess has written it just for the blog tour for us.
The throbbing in my head took my mind off the relentless pain in my leg. It had become my sort of twisted way of dealing with the constant agony. Get drunk enough for a skull-pounding hangover and it dulled everything else.
I made a stupid-ass attempt to mask the uneven sounds of my footsteps, but the wooden hallway floor made it pretty damn laughable. I wasn’t even completely sure why it mattered, except that I knew the girl was standing just around the corner in the kitchen. I’d heard her silky laugh twice before I’d even left my bedroom.
She stood in the kitchen helping with breakfast. Long auburn hair cascaded down the back of her sweater and I could see only the side of her face as she smiled sweetly at my dad. I’d been in a desert that was so hot just taking a breath hurt, a place where you learned not to trust even your own shadow, a place that could only be described as hell, and the only way to survive the nightmare of it all was to believe that somewhere else in another place, another time, another dimension angels existed. And now I’d come home and found one standing over the waffle iron in the kitchen.
She looked up as I entered the room and that was all it took. I could not look away. Her thin fingers trembled almost imperceptibly as she tucked her hair behind her ear. I dragged a chair out from the table and sat down hard and watched her. She grew more and more flustered by my scrutiny but I couldn’t stop myself. She was a piece of heaven that had floated in through the darkness and I wanted to watch her. And, even though she nearly bit through her plump, highly kissable bottom lip with agitation . . . it seemed . . . that deep down she wanted me to watch her.
Buy the Book:
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Private-North-Tess-Oliver-ebook/dp/B00H8XT0GC/
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Private-North-Tess-Oliver-ebook/dp/B00H8XT0GC/
Book Link:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19266489-private-north
About the Author
Tess Oliver is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author of Freefall (Custom Culture, #1). She is also a full time teacher and lives in California with her husband, two kids, and a pack of pampered pets. She loves horses, chocolate, and Jane Austen books. She has a BS in Nutrition Science and a MA in Curriculum and Instruction.
Social Media Links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tessoliverauthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Tess_Oliver
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4178161.Tess_Oliver
Email: toliverbooks@gmail.com
Blog: http://tessoliverauthor.blogspot.com/
Website: http://tessoliver.com/
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The novel begins right as the college Auggie is attending is finishing up exams and beginning winter break. The holidays are coming. Auggie’s best friend Rylie is heading home to have a REAL family Christmas. Which is something that Auggie has always wanted, though her parents are always making the holidays a traveling affair. Auggie has talked to her mother this year, and is excited about their stay at home this year plans. She and her mom are going to make cookies, Christmas dinner (no staff help or fancy dinnerware), and maybe even a gingerbread house.
But…
Instead she gets a call from her mother on the opposite coast (California) and the family is now heading to France for the holidays. Auggie puts her foot down and says–NO! She refuses to go, her mother promised her. Yet, another let down from her family. Auggie comes from a wealthy family. One of the servants even helped her learn how to ride a bike. So why should plans for REAL family Christmas be a surprise let down. Yet, it is for Auggie.
So what is she going to do over break…
It just so happens she gets a request from one of her favorite teachers to help catalog ancient Egypt pottery relics. He provides directions and tells her that his son Ethan (school hottie) is going to be there. Making the requests seem twice as enjoyable for Auggie.
The drive up to the professors house is filled with snow covered roads. At one point while glancing away for only a moment to check the directions she nearly runs over someone.
She is shaken after finding out the person is not hurt and manages to make it to the professors home.
(Would a student actually go to/be asked to a professors home in real life for a project?)
Auggie enjoys the project and works quite competently and briskly is typing in the details needed in order to catalog the artifacts. She works long hours and enjoys the sight of the snow outside the office window.
The next thing she knows is that the person from her incident on the road is actually one of Professor North’s sons. And he comes with some serious emotional and physical baggage.
During her stay at the North’s Auggie hears mention of a ‘Gold Band’ after an outing with the guys on snowmobiles. . The family seems very tense, but she tries to stay out of their way as much as possible. Later Professor North shows her the object that his sons had mentioned in her presence. She is amazed at the wonder of the item.
Auggie and Dalton (Professor North’s oldest son) find that they are attracted to one another. She shares how she ended up there, about how her plans for making cookies, gingerbread houses, and even decorating own Christmas tree got turned into a trip to France instead. Thus, she accepted the invitation to catalog the Egyptian Antiquities (which is her major).
In a way this short novel is like a thriller and a romance in one. The professor gets a lot of phone calls that fluster him, and his mood changes for the worst from the beginning to the end of the novel. Dalton knows something is up, but he is just not sure what. He is a pretty smart guy. Very aware of his environment. I like this novel for several reasons. One being that it is not your average millionaire, biker, corporate man hero read. Dalton is a fictional character, but there are real persons with issues and military experiences similar to his. A second reason is that Auggie, even though she does see Dalton as attractive, she also sees him as a person. A person in more pain than just physical. It is almost like his pain is her pain. And third, because Auggie sees Dalton as an individual. Someone who is talented, strong, and caring.
Auggie and Dalton’s relationship does not begin until halfway through the novel. But when it starts it is pretty seductive. My favorite was the fireplace scene. I guess because I have often wondered what it would be like surrounded by snow, and having a warm and cozy fire in the fireplace; a perfect place for romance and memories to be made.
Towards the end the action and thrills come faster and faster. I could see the pages decreasing and I am going, OK, how is this going to end, what is the story behind it all going to be?
Which I will leave you guessing, I do not want to spoil if for you…
When the end came, I wanted more. More I tell you, more… How did Auggie spend the rest of her school break? What did the future hold for Dalton and for Auggie? Did her parents ever find out about the happenings and danger she was faced with over the break? Did Dalton ever teach Auggie how to use his pottery wheel?
I am hoping that since Rylie was introduced in the beginning of the novel that a second book will come out about her, and have information about Auggie and Dalton.
Because, I REALLY WANT TO KNOW…
Ratings
4.0 Rosebuds- Writing provided interest in the characters, their was mystery, that at least caused me to want to know more. Grammatical errors were far and few. There was a lot of detail in the novel, you could almost feel the cold frosty weather outside. Left me craving more of this story.
4.0 Romance Rave
The romance was limited to only a handful of scenes. Yet, though they were few, they were spicy!!!
This is a perfect and quick read for a rainy afternoon, snow filled holiday, or just any day and time, you want to read a romance that is short and sweet, but with a little mystery and thrills too!
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