Today I'm excited to help reveal the cover for FRACTURED PERFECTION by Nazarea Andrews. This is an adult contemporary romance novel that will be released on August 27th. It is the 4th book in the University of Branton series. 

 

Title: Fractured Perfection (University of Branton #4)
Author: Nazarea Andrews
Publisher: A&A Literary (August 27th, 2015)
Add to: Goodreads
No order links at the time of posting

NOTE: This is a Adult novel. Due to mature content this title is recommended for ages 17+

Synopsis: They had everything in each other….until one mistake shattered it all.
It’s been five months since the photo of Asher and Luca splashed across the headlines, outing their unconventional relationship with Megan. Five months and everything is different.
Asher is buried in work and running from the fame he’s worked so hard to achieve.
Luca is hiding from the people who love him, and drinking himself into oblivion to escape the pain of losing yet another lover.
And Megan is living in Branton, watching helplessly as the men she loves spiral into depression.

Brought together again by tragedy, none can deny the intense connection they share. But is love enough to put together a life that was broken? Return to Branton…one last time.

OMG I can't WAIT for this book!!!

The ending of Sweet Ruin about KILLED ME! 

EXCERPT:

Asher
Bourbon Street is loud. It’s what I like about it, the loud revelry, the street performers, the music and the alcohol, and the anonymity of being one in a crowd of thousands. I’ve been sitting with a hurricane for the past hour, and I’ve barely touched it.
This is my escape, these days. Not disappearing into nowhere. Disappearing into the middle of everywhere. A pretty blonde has been eyeing me for the past forty five minutes, and I should probably drag this out—dance with her, or buy her a drink. Something. But I’m too tired for that right now. I give her a smile, and she’s moving to my table, and from there—it’s all over but the fucking.
Twenty minutes later, I stumble into my hotel room, the girl—what the hell is her name? I’m not drunk enough to forget this kind of shit—hanging off me and giggling. That’s annoying as fuck, but she’s got a damn fine mouth, and an exhibitionist streak.
A light flicks on, and my new friend freezes. Her eyes go wide as she looks into my room, at whoever is sitting in there. “What the hell?”
“Dammit, LeighAnn, I told you to leave me alone for the night,” I snap, turning.
“Wrong PA, darlin’,” she drawls. Megan is sitting in my recliner, my tablet in her lap with a script pulled up. Nosey wench. I step away from the barfly and stare at her. I can chase memories all I want, but she’s here, and memories don’t hold a fucking candle to her. Her green gaze flicks to the other girl, the one I’ve completely forgotten. Cools to downright chilly. “Get out,” she says flatly.
The barfly sidles closer to me, and clutches my hand. “He wants me here.”
She laughs, a sharp noise, and her foot twitches, the thing that tells me she’s furious. “You don’t know shit, little girl. You sure as fuck don’t know what the hell he wants.”
The barfly flinches and Meg’s eyes come to me. “Get rid of your friend, Knox.”
I hate that with just my name in that tone, she can make me want her.
But it doesn’t mean she’s wrong. I turn to the barfly. Give her an apologetic shrug. “You should probably go.”
Her eyes go wide, comically outraged. But I’m not paying much attention to her as she storms out, cursing and banging the door behind her. My gaze is on Megan, as she stands. She’s wearing skinny jeans that hug her thighs and curve around her ass. A tight tshirt says Talk Nerdy to Me.
I grin—she likes it nerdy and dirty. “What are you doing here?” I ask.
“It’s time to go get Luca,” she says, glancing around the hotel room. “You’re done tomorrow, right?”
I take a step back. I can’t do that—I can’t take them back. Not both of them. Not after that photo blew up. It changed everything—“Megan,” I say, shaking my head.
“Don’t.” She snaps, and her voice is sharp with anger and hurt. “Your hurt and you can’t be with us, and I betrayed you both, and blah fucking blah. This is bigger than the petty shit you have going on. Luca is spiraling, Asher. We need to go to him.”
I go very still, fear cascading over me. Why do I still care? Five months, and I can’t seem to let go of them. I want to get over them, want to move the fuck on. “What happened?”
Her gaze skates over the room, the first diversion from her. “Where is he?”
“New York. He took a job there, a few months ago, and he’s been there ever since, working gigs. Sunny’s been keeping an eye on him, but—Asher, it’s bad. He’s drinking, and shutting everyone out. He won’t speak to me anymore.”
I flinch. When I walked away from the strange relationship we were building, I thought Luca would find himself in Megan. But he didn’t. And Megan lost us both.
It wasn’t fair to her. Or him. But it’s the only way I knew how to deal with the unexpected exposure, the sudden outing that none of us were ready for it. It was too soon, too new. What was safe and fun and harmless in a car crossing the country—that was something completely different from being splashed across the headlines.
There wasn't enough time for us to decide it was something we wanted before the world decided it was something we shouldn't have.
"Megan, I can't be with you and him. I can't handle the public shit."
She nods, sadness flickering in her green eyes. "I know. And I get it--this isn't me trying to get us back together."
I give her a skeptical look and she shrugs. "I'm not lying about what I want, Asher. I just need him healthy and sane more than I want us.”
I’m quiet, and she nods, a smile twisting her lips. “Sleep on it. We’ll talk about why you’re being a dick in the morning.”
Megan strips off her top, and I almost swallow my tongue. She’s wearing a pale blue bra that stands out against the creamy, freckled skin. I know those curves, know just how her pert little breasts will feel cupped in my palm, and the way her body feels writhing against mine when I’m moving inside her. I know it all, and I’ve ignored it for five months, because I know this is a bad idea.
But having her in my room, half naked and gorgeous—I want her and I don’t give a fuck that it’s a bad idea.

PREVIOUS BOOKS IN THE SERIES

THIS LOVE (book #1) Buy Links:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble  












BEAUTIFUL BROKEN (book #2) Buy Links:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble   












SWEET RUIN (book #3) Buy Links:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble   

Nazarea Andrews Bio:

Nazarea Andrews is an avid reader and tends to write the stories she wants to read. She loves chocolate and coffee almost as much as she loves books, but not quite as much as she loves her kids. She is the author of the University of Branton series, Neverland Found series, and Edge of the Falls.

She lives in south Georgia with her husband, daughters, and overgrown dog. You can follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

Find Nazarea Online:

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Author Goodreads | Amazon author page

Title: Forever Found (Neverland Lost, #2)
Author: Nazarea Andrews
Publisher: A&A Literary (December 30th, 2014)
Genre: Contemporary Romance Novella
Add to: Goodreads 
Order a copy: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Amazon UK

NOTE: This is a "New Adult" novel. Due to mature content this title is recommended for ages 17+

Synopsis: Losing Gwen was one of the hardest things I've ever had to survive. I've never loved anyone the way I love her. But finding her was never about that. And now that I have found her--now that she knows the truth about me and the Island, I have to trust her to believe. Because her leaving me didn't just destroy me--its killing Neverland. I need her to love me. But we all need her to believe again.

Peter Pan has grown up and found the girl who left--but the stakes are higher than ever in this romantic conclusion to the story begun in Girl Lost.  

Review: 4.5 Stars - Forever Found is the novella follow up to author Nazarea Andrews Peter Pan retelling, Girl Lost. The novella picks up after the end of Girl Lost and is told from Peter’s point of view as he’s desperately trying to get through to Gwen before he loses everything he’s ever known.

Nazarea’s retelling of this classic is done extremely well. I fell in love with her characters and with what happens – in her version – should Peter, Tink and the Lost Boys ever leave the island. I loved and I mean LOVED Girl Lost and asked for more and was ecstatic when Nazarea told readers she had a bit more to Peter and Gwen’s story to tell.

I’m a huge fan of this author and knew her writing would be pretty much spot on and it was… yet you’re questioning why I’ve only given it 4.5 stars? Well, the short answer is that part of the book was a bit confusing and rushed. I’m not sure if this was due to the fact that I was reading an eARC , but it did cause me to be slightly removed from the story a couple of times over.

Where it felt rushed or confusing would have been a great jumping point to writing a novella a tad longer, however what’s here does without a doubt give readers more closure so the length isn’t actually a huge issue.

Speaking of the ending – Andrews took something that was already filled with magic and that ending made it even more so. I couldn’t stop smiling and was happy to have been on this journey with her characters.

These two books are pretty perfect for slightly older readers who enjoy retellings and twists that make the characters part of the classics we know and love mixed with pieces of new – making these characters fresh yet not too far away from their original voices.

If you haven’t read these two you have no idea what you’re missing. They do need to be read in order for readers to get the best understanding of the characters and their story, so be sure to start with Girl Lost. Enjoy!

 

Title: Girl Lost
Author: Nazarea Andrews
Publisher: A&A Literary (May 1st, 2014)
From: the Author
Format: eARC
Add to: Goodreads
Order a copy: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository, Amazon UK

NOTE: This is a "New Adult" novel. Due to mature content this title is recommended for ages 17+

Synopsis: Northern was supposed to be a fresh start—a place where people didn’t know who I was or how I had spent years in and out of mental institutes. People didn't know about my parents death or the island no one heard of. But when Peter sits next to me in lit class, I can’t stop the memories, and I don’t want to. He looks too much like the boy from the island, and despite my best intentions, coaxes my secrets from me.

He’s gorgeous, irresistible, a little mad, and completely lost—we are a pair of broken cogs in a world neither of us truly fits into. He is somehow gentle and fierce, heartbreaking in his devotion and savage in his defense.

When Belle, his best friend, shows up, pale and lovely and sick, Peter pulls away from me, a startling withdrawal. It’s a relationship that scares and confuses me. She is at times warm and friendly, and other times is violent and unpredictable.

Peter says that he wants me, but refuses to let himself get close. And there are secrets, surrounding both of us, that border on nightmares. As the memories close in, as Belle gets sicker and more violent, I’m torn between what is true and what I believe, and what this magical boy knows about my mysterious past.

Check out my review of Girl Lost!!!

Nazarea Andrews Bio:

Nazarea Andrews is an avid reader and tends to write the stories she wants to read. She loves chocolate and coffee almost as much as she loves books, but not quite as much as she loves her kids. She is the author of the University of Branton series, Neverland Found series, and Edge of the Falls.

She lives in south Georgia with her husband, daughters, and overgrown dog. You can follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

Find Nazarea Online:

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Author Goodreads | Amazon author page

GIVEAWAY!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Title: The Future Without Hope (The World Without End Book 3)
Author: Nazarea Andrews
Publisher: A&A Literary  (November 20th, 2014)
Add to: Goodreads
Order here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository, Amazon UK

NOTE: This is a "New Adult" novel. Due to mature content this title is recommended for ages 17+

Synopsis: Separated from Finn, captive of the Order, Nurrin has no hope left. But she has survived twenty years of zombies--and she has the unshakable faith that Finn will find her.

But Finn is a long way away. The Order's influence runs deeper than was ever suspected, and politics are shifting--and zombies may not be the most dangerous thing she's facing.

Finn always thought the war stripped him of all he had to lose. But with Nurrin missing and doors closing in his face, he realizes there is always more for the world to take--and he will drag the remains of civilization down with him before he gives up on the only promise that matters.

Deleted Scene:

Part 3 of a 4 part short story. Follow the blog tour to find out what happens to Finn and Kelsey

The Battle for the Easter (Part 3)

The company is quiet—a tension has settled over the other men that I understand. We can’t sustain like this, and I know it.

“You going to talk to her?” Omar says. I glance at him from the corner of my eye. The black man is still, almost a year after meeting him, a little larger than life. But he picked up on the dynamics pretty quick—Kelsey keeps me moving. I keep Kelsey in line. The rest of the world can fuck itself, for all I care.

“She’s shutting me out right now, Omar,” I say, leaning back against a tree. We’ve moved steadily all day, and cleared a small town before making our camp for the night. The rest of the company is inside a barn that proved clean and sound. I can smell the fire they have crackling.

Infects don’t seem to care much about scent, unless it’s blood and meat. If we can keep our flames contained, we’ll manage the night warm and safe.

“She never shuts you out,” Omar protests.

I laugh, because that’s so far from the truth it’s the only real option. Laugh or curse.

“She shuts me out on a regular basis. She’s just generally good about keeping our dirty laundry in our closet.” I say. Omar grunts softly, and I stare into the gathering darkness, watching for any sign of infect activity.

“She can’t exile everyone who questions her place here.” Omar says softly.

“Then control your men. I’ll do my best to keep her leashed, but keep your men from pissing her off. Because her safety matters more than your guys—cross her and you won’t need to exile them. I’ll kill them just to make her happy.”

I say the words coolly, not bothering to look at Omar. I can feel the stillness that takes him, something I’ve watched him do before when he’s threatened. I wait until he releases his breath, and then I head back inside.

Kelsey is sanding in the doorway of the barn, and she stares at me for a long moment. I can see the questions in her eyes, and I know she overheard me. But I’m not ready to talk about it yet, so I just brush past her and climb the ladder to the hayloft she claimed as her own when we found the barn.

Mine, too. Because neither of us have been able to sleep in the field if the other was far away.

“What was that?” She asks, when she’s standing in the loft.

I shrug. Toe off my boots and pull her down to rest against me. Some of the tightness in my chest eases. “It was me explaining to the priest where things stand. It’s a good thing for him to know.”

“You can’t always put me before the company. We’re not here to stay alive. We’re here to make a difference.”

I laugh. “You make a difference. I’ve only ever been here to make sure you stay alive. That’s what I do.”

Nazarea Andrews Bio:

Nazarea Andrews is an avid reader and tends to write the stories she wants to read. She loves chocolate and coffee almost as much as she loves books, but not quite as much as she loves her kids. She is the author of the University of Branton series, Neverland Found series, and Edge of the Falls.

She lives in south Georgia with her husband, daughters, and overgrown dog. You can follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

Find Nazarea Online:

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Author Goodreads | Amazon author page

Enter Nazarea's giveaway!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I'm SO EXCITED to read this book... you guys have NO IDEA!!! Can't wait to find out what happens next!! And here is the cover reveal for FOREVER FOUND by Nazarea Andrews.

This is a novella that will be released on December 30th and it is the stunning conclusion to the story begun in Girl Lost.  

Title: Forever Found (Neverland Lost, #2)
Author: Nazarea Andrews
Publisher: A&A Literary (December 30th, 2014)
Genre: Contemporary Romance Novella
Add to: Goodreads 

NOTE: This is a "New Adult" novel. Due to mature content this title is recommended for ages 17+

Synopsis: Losing Gwen was one of the hardest things I've ever had to survive. I've never loved anyone the way I love her. But finding her was never about that. And now that I have found her--now that she knows the truth about me and the Island, I have to trust her to believe. Because her leaving me didn't just destroy me--its killing Neverland. I need her to love me. But we all need her to believe again.

Peter Pan has grown up and found the girl who left--but the stakes are higher than ever in this romantic conclusion to the story begun in Girl Lost.  

Excerpt:

Gwen is leaning against the window. Every time I leave her, I forget. She’s not all gangly limbs and huge eyes and dirty hair hanging in her face, flinching at her own shadow. Not anymore. That Gwen still haunts my island, but this—this Gwen is breathtaking.

She thinks she’s broken. Fractured pieces of a broken mind, held together by medication and stubborn denial. But she doesn’t see herself, not the way I do.

Lane had that right. She’s breathtaking—even now, when I know she’s sad and broken. She stands straight, a pair of thin sleep pants curving around her ass before falling loose and free to the floor. Her shoulders are back, graceful and strong, under the thick sweater she’s wearing, her hair pulled into a messy knot at the top of her head.

She can see me, my reflection in the dark glass. And I see the tension in her tighten, drawing her up and sharp, until she’s almost vibrating with it. “Why are you here?” she asks, her voice low and hoarse.

She sounds like that when she’s been crying. I know—I’ve heard her so many times, heard her tears. Wiped them away. Whispered happy thoughts until I teased a smile from her.

“Peter,” she snaps, and I jerk, out of the memories and into the moment.

“You ran away.”

She gives an unladylike snort. “You decided you were a delusion of my past, and then you expected me to sit there and listen to your insane ramblings. Thanks, but no. I can’t do that. I’ve had enough crazy for one life.” She bites her lip, and then blurts, “You stole my file, didn’t you? That’s how you know about the Boy.”

“Do you remember the firefly meadow?”

She goes still, and I smile, gently. “You do.”

“That wasn’t real,” she whispers, and I feel the shudder.

“We’d hide there, from the lsot boys. And you’d fall asleep telling me your happy thoughts, and wake up to a galaxy of fireflies, and we’d chase them until you made yourself sick, laughing. And then I’d hold you and we’d stare at the stars, and you always said they were different. It smelled like jasmine and honey-“

“And wild woods and freedom,” she whispers, her blue eyes impossibly wide in her pretty face. I take a tentative step toward her, and touch her fingers.

Why are your stars different?

“It wasn’t a delusion, Gwendy. You know it wasn’t. Trust yourself.”

She shudders. “Can’t. My mind lies. It wasn’t—“

“Gwendy,” I say, desperately. Her eyes are filling with tears and I can feel the disbelief, the way it will tear apart the world I’ve known, and the girl I’ve loved, and I can’t. I move without thinking, catch her head and bring her lips to mine.

 

Nazarea Andrews Bio:

Nazarea Andrews is an avid reader and tends to write the stories she wants to read. She loves chocolate and coffee almost as much as she loves books, but not quite as much as she loves her kids. She is the author of the University of Branton series, Neverland Found series, and Edge of the Falls.

She lives in south Georgia with her husband, daughters, and overgrown dog. You can follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

Find Nazarea Online:

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Author Goodreads | Amazon author page

GIVEAWAY!!!

Win a signed copy of GIRL LOST and an eARC of FOREVER FOUND. US only. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Today it's the exciting release day launch for The Future Without Hope by Nazarea Andrews. I am so excited about this amazing and sexy zombie romance. Nazarea has shared an exclusive excerpt and there's an awesome giveaway from her below.

Be sure to enter and check out all the book details!!

Title: The Future Without Hope (The World Without End Book 3)
Author: Nazarea Andrews
Publisher: A&A Literary  (November 20th, 2014)
Add to: Goodreads
Order here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository, Amazon UK

NOTE: This is a "New Adult" novel. Due to mature content this title is recommended for ages 17+

Synopsis: Separated from Finn, captive of the Order, Nurrin has no hope left. But she has survived twenty years of zombies--and she has the unshakable faith that Finn will find her.

But Finn is a long way away. The Order's influence runs deeper than was ever suspected, and politics are shifting--and zombies may not be the most dangerous thing she's facing.

Finn always thought the war stripped him of all he had to lose. But with Nurrin missing and doors closing in his face, he realizes there is always more for the world to take--and he will drag the remains of civilization down with him before he gives up on the only promise that matters.

Exclusive Excerpt:

I GO TO THE UNDERGROUND. It’s deserted this early, but I know some of the acolytes will be there, and a few priests. It’s a gamble, but it’s what I have.

I could go to Omar. It would take very little to reach out to the High Priest, and I know him—he might be loyal to the Order, but he’ll do whatever he can to destabilize the Red Priestess. Even helping me steal back a sacrifice.

But that would mean trusting him. And I’m not ready for that. Not yet.

So I go to the vice clubs.

The doors are locked. I bang once, and wait impatiently until two acolytes pry open the door. “The clubs are closed until sunset,” the one in green robes lisps.

“I’m not here for the vice clubs,” I say. “I need to see the High Priest of the Haven.”

They exchange a quick look, and then the Red shakes her head. She’s familiar—the same acolyte who attended me when I fought. The sweet hospitality in her eyes from the previous night is gone now, replaced with a cool reserve that borders on hostility. She isn’t a woman impressed right now. She’s a fledgling priestess protecting the Order. And that makes me smile, slow and amused.

“He isn’t here.”

“Tell him that Finn O’Malley needs to see him. He has two hours to meet me at the house on the edge of the wall and return what he took from me. If I don’t have her by then, I will start killing his priests—and I won’t stop until every member of the Order in 1 is dead.” I pause, and stare at them. Their eyes are wide, fear mixing with anger and shock.

They don’t believe me. And because of that, they won’t deliver the message. I lean in and murmur into the space between them. “If you think I wouldn’t do it—I want you to know, I fought for Kelsey Buchman in the war. There is nothing I wouldn’t do. And if she isn’t there, in two hours, yours will be the first blood I spill.”

Nazarea Andrews Bio:

Nazarea Andrews is an avid reader and tends to write the stories she wants to read. She loves chocolate and coffee almost as much as she loves books, but not quite as much as she loves her kids. She is the author of the University of Branton series, Neverland Found series, and Edge of the Falls.

She lives in south Georgia with her husband, daughters, and overgrown dog. You can follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

Find Nazarea Online:

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Author Goodreads | Amazon author page

Enter Nazarea's giveaway!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

AN Latro introduced us to the sexy and dangerous world of the Morgan crime family in Black Collar Empire and the novellas, Black Collar Beginnings: Cuba and Black Collar Beginnings: New York.

Now she returns with Black Collar Beginnings: Manhattan Dry a five part short story about New York’s favorite criminal royalty. 

NOTE: This is a New Adult/Adult novel. Due to mature content this title is recommended for ages 17+

Everything in the Morgan syndicate is poised on the edge of change, and no one understands that more than Caleb. A senior in high school, he’s balanced between a false legitimate life and the deadly one as head of the family’s weapons division.

When an attack comes out of nowhere, the two sides of his world collide and the effects of that will touch everyone in the family…

Black Collar Beginnings: Manhattan Dry Part 1

Irving Prep, New York City.

Caleb smirks at his reflection in the mirror hanging on the inside of his locker door. His blond hair is a riotous mess, and it reeks of chlorine, but he doesn't care enough to shower. A particularly pleasant buzz has taken his limbs, a heady mix of endorphins and tired muscles. He went hard at practice, cutting through the water like the pool was the cause of his distress. The only time he can ever get his mother –dead six months now - off his mind is when he's swimming.

He slams the locker closed and throws the strap to his bag over his shoulder. He beat everyone, again. It's becoming a problem on the team. He's better than all of them, even the next best member is way behind his times. And just as punk-ass rich kids who have nothing better to worry about, the team as a collective doesn't like him. He pushes his shoulders back as he stalks toward the exit, every single bit the cocky 18-year-old he looks. Fuck those guys. They can talk shit when he climbs in the back of a Bentley.

Just as he reaches for the door handle, he hears a shuffle just behind him. He whips around as a voice barks, “Hey, Morgan.”

He manages to dodge the first punch, a sloppy haymaker. But he also realizes that this is not a one-on-one fight. He steps into the third punch while avoiding the second, and his temple explodes in pain and white light when the knuckles connect. He hears himself grunt as the aftershock of that single blow tremors through his body. There are five of them to one of him, and his legs are already shaking.

But he’s a Morgan. So he returns the haymaker, a left, and a proper one. His knuckles connect with a jaw. He hears the yelp of pain but his vision collapses on itself when someone uppercuts him in the gut. When he doubles over – he can't stop himself – someone else punches him in the mouth. He feels himself fall, knows his body is going into shock from the overload, and he can't do a damn thing to stop it.

When he hits the floor, he knows it's game over. He does his best to protect his head as they descend upon him, and one of them drawls, “Not so much better than us, now, are you?”

They're snickering when another blow to the temple knocks him out.

The next thing he knows, a nonsensical voice is talking to him as he cracks open his eyes. Everything is blurry, most of all the vague outline of a face above him. In the next second comes the screaming agony. Every nerve in his body lights on fire. The voice continues to talk, and continues not to make sense. All he can do in response is groan.

He gets the vague sensation of being picked up. Not cool. A Morgan shouldn't need to be carried. Then he slips from consciousness again.

  * * *

Caleb is sitting moodily in the dinning room of the high rise suites, with an ice pack pressed against his face as evening descends. His dad sits at the head of the table, diagonal from him, with a stack of folders in front of him, and a scotch, straight up. The silence has stretched between them for damn near twenty minutes, and Caleb's patience is thin. Still, he holds out in the same stubborn silence that follows any time he or Seth get in trouble. Both brothers are stoically silent in the face of such trouble, but Seth's expression gives them away, every time.

They both know that Gabriel will always win when it came to patience, yet Caleb always pushes himself to the very brink. He eyes the scotch as his dad scans the newspaper. Suddenly, it annoys him that his dad is still so old fashioned that he gets his news from the literal paper. The bruise on Caleb's cheek had gone from a hot throb to a frozen bite, and that's pretty irritating, too. Fuck this.

He slams the ice down on the table with a huff, and he's just a few seconds from reaching for his dad's liquor, when a commotion down the hall stops him.

It begins with the ding of the elevator that is their front door, the soft glide as it opens. It continues with the loudest possible elevator exodus, probably ever. Keys – to who knows what – jingling, a bag being dropped in the floor, possibly kicked, keys tossed on a glass-top table. It's Seth, announcing to the world that he's home. Gabe shakes his head with a quiet sigh, and Caleb's expression turns to a full-blown glare.

The silence drags on as they wait for Seth to make his leisurely pace down the hallway, and just as he's about to make his grand entrance, Caleb flings his gaze to the table, at nothing. At anything but his jackass brother. He knows that Seth has no clue what's going on, but it's partially that innocence that pisses Caleb off. Seth could waltz through a field of traps without ever hitting one or knowing better, and he'd still get a gold metal for bravery.

In his peripheral, Caleb sees Seth stride into the dining room as though he expects there to be cameras waiting. And Caleb watches his little brother hold that air for about three steps before he freezes. And the real Morgan emerges.

“What the fuck!” Seth demands.

“Watch your mouth,” Gabe says, and Caleb just stares hard at the oak.

Seth's angry expression melts into one of skepticism that his dad could be more worried about language than Caleb's face. Seth narrows his eyes, and says, “Well what the fuck happened?”

With a speed that neither son will ever get used to, Gabe stands, and in the same movement, backhands his youngest son. Not as hard as he can, not even hard enough to bruise, but enough to knock him back a little.

Seth recovers fairly quickly, but the attitude is magically gone. His head hangs a bit, and he mumbles, “Sorry.”

“I got jumped,” Caleb says.

Seth and Gabe turn to him as one. He keeps his eyes down, rage brewing in his gut that is hard to keep from his voice. He continues, “There were five of them.”

“Who was it?” Seth asks, the same rage more apparent in his tone. The two can knock-down-drag-out with each other, but if anyone else messes with one brother, they end up answering to two.

“Sit down, Seth, and shut up,” Gabe says. His voice is controlled but his tone leaves no room for argument.

Seth scoffs his disbelief, but that's as much rebellion as he will dare. He doesn't argue, and he does take a seat beside Caleb, eyes roving, assessing the damage done to his big brother. Gabe resumes his seat and takes a slow sip of scotch. Now, both his sons are staring at the table.

“Who jumped you?” Gabe asks.

“Some guys from the team,” Caleb answers reluctantly. Five on one is hardly a fair fight, but still the shame of getting his ass kicked burns in his gut.

“Which guys from the team?” Gabe asks, dark eyes penetrating.

“I didn't get a chance to see them.”

“Why would they jump you? Did you instigate something?”

The rage he’s holding back makes a leap, and his eyes flash to his dad. He says, “Do you really think I would have lost the fight if I had?"

The eye contact weighs heavily between them for an uncomfortable stretch. Seth has fallen still, well aware that he is out of his league. His gaze flits between his dad and his brother. Finally, Gabe sighs, a sigh that sags his shoulders in the midst of his child's pain, and he asks, “Then why did they jump you?”

“Because I'm better than them. Because I win.”

Gabe holds Caleb's heated stare for a few moments longer, then he sighs again and takes another drink. “I will deal with your school and see that those boys are punished. Is that clear?”

“But Dad -”

“Shut up, Seth.”

They can all but here Seth's jaw snap closed. Caleb's voice is downtrodden when he says, “Yes, Dad.”

“Good,” says Gabe. “Caleb, you don't have a concussion, but you're lucky. Take it easy for a couple days, ok.” His hands are already shifting folders on the table, but his eyes are still on his sons. He adds, “I have to go over these reports from the board. You two are dismissed.”

Caleb grabs his ice pack, but doesn't press it to his face. He and Seth stand, heads hanging as if they had gotten in trouble. As they start their exit, like a procession of the damned, Gabe says, “And boys.” It stops both of them in their tracks. “I love you.”

They mumble their replies before heading toward their rooms.

* * *

Seth follows Caleb into his room without asking, and he closes the door behind him. Caleb huffs in aggravation as he tosses the ice onto the top of his dresser. He catches a glimpse of his reflection as he does, and he can't help but let his eyes run over the ugly bruise on his cheekbone and temple, the swollen split in his lip. “What do you want, Seth?”

Seth has sprawled on Caleb's full-sized bed, and he's staring at the ceiling when he asks, “Who was it?”

The temper Caleb has been holding since he got home finally gets the best of him. Seth is a safe target for that aggression, so Caleb whirls on him and snaps, “It doesn't fucking matter. You heard Dad. Stop being a dumb fuck.”

And just as Seth is apt to do, he returns the heat. He scrambles upright, body rigid and tight with anger—ready to fight. The fury is written all over his hard expression. “Somebody – not just somebody, fucking five of them – attacked my goddamned brother, yes it fucking matters. I don't care what Dad said.”

Caleb huffs back, but when he meets Seth's eyes, he can't bring himself to admonish his little brother. Seth isn't acting, he’s pissed, and though Caleb knows he should be some sort of role model, Seth's anger is soothing. Caleb's hard-edged features fall. His brother always has his back, no matter what. So he turns away, back to the ice, and this time, he does press it to his again throbbing bruise.

Would he rest if it were Seth with a beat-up face and wounded pride? Not likely.

“Who was it?” Seth asks again. “Aidenn and his buddies.”

“The team captain?”

“That's the one.”

“Those motherfuckers!” Seth snarls. With his already-dangerous speed, Seth swipes the 9mm pistol from Caleb's bedside table and heads toward the door. He's almost too quick to catch, but Caleb rushes him, grabbing his skinny arm above the elbow and jerking his brother around to face him.

“What the hell are you doing?” Caleb asks in a measured tone, surprising compared to the riot of emotion that plays in his gut.

“I'm going to make them sorry they ever fucked with a Morgan,” Seth answers, his temper completely obliterating sense. Caleb can see the fiery tantrum building in his idiot, endearing sibling.

“Like this?” Caleb asks, waving the ice pack at the gun. “Are you fucking insane?

For a long stretch, Seth just stares back like Caleb were speaking a foreign language. He is every bit as stubborn as Caleb, and just as volatile, so Caleb keeps the firm grip on his brother's arm. He wants to shake the shit out of Seth, as if it might shake the younger back into reason. “That's not our world, Seth. You can't go gun down some high school kids because of a locker room fight. You would bring us all down, because god knows you're not smart enough to not get caught.”

“Fine,” Seth answers. His anger is still apparent, but he's trying to get a handle on it, probably because he sees Caleb doing the same thing. “Fine, here.” He shoves the gun toward Caleb so that he has to let go of Seth's arm to take the pistol. Seth adds coldly, “I don't need a gun. I'll beat the fuck out of them with my hands.” And he turns back to the door.

Caleb abandons the gun on the dresser, and again rushes Seth. “You're not going alone.”

“Then come with me,” Seth says, the challenge thick in his tone. “Because I am going.”

“Goddammit!” Caleb growls, roughly dragging Seth back toward the dresser. “You really are a fucking idiot.”

Seth is about to protest, but his attention divides when Caleb pulls open his top drawer and begins digging through designer underwear. “You know I'm gonna catch the heat for this,” he says, finding what he's searching for.

“No, you won't. I will. I won't let him blame you,” Seth answers. He's being sincere, but Caleb knows their dad better than that.

“Just shut up, Seth. Here.” Caleb extends a set of brass knuckles to his brother. “Like I showed you, so you don't break your hands.”

For a moment, Seth just stares down at the metal. In that moment, he knows that Caleb is both thanking him for having his back, and accepting the consequences of what they are about to do. Caleb slips his own brass knuckles in his jeans pocket and grabs his lightweight coat. “And you follow my lead. If I say we split, we split.”

“Fine.”

“Come on.”

Catch up on the series now!!

Black Collar Empire: After two years away, Seth Morgan has returned to New York, desperate to honor his father’s dying wish for a unified family. But the heir’s welcome is sadly lacking: his family’s criminal empire is divided, the woman he loves hates him, and his brother Caleb has become a cold stranger.

When a brotherly spat becomes a vicious misunderstanding that ends with Caleb dead, Seth is left reeling, and unsure who to trust.

Emma Morgan grew up while her closest cousin was away. She’s been sheltered her entire life from the realities of their family—something Seth has every intention of changing upon his return.

But not everyone in the syndicate is happy to have Seth home, and there are secrets surrounding Caleb’s murder. The deeper Seth and Emma dig, the clearer it becomes that not everyone shares their dream for the Morgan Syndicate, and not everyone wants the heir to ascend.

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Black Collar Beginnings: New York Caleb Morgan is the black sheep of the family. Two years of his brother’s absence has left him cold and alone—except for Emma, the youngest Morgan. Because with Seth gone, there is no one else to teach—or protect—their innocent cousin. But teaching isn’t always pretty—not in family who peddles in crime.

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iBooks

Black Collar Beginnings: Cuba Alone in Cuba, Seth Morgan isn’t mafia royalty—he’s a thug with a gun, and everything to prove. When the shadowy kingpin behind the Cuban syndicate finally takes notice, nothing in Seth’s world will ever be the same.

Before the Empire, there was exile. A novella, set just before Black Collar Empire.

Goodreads | Amazon | BN | Kobo | iBooks


Check out the rest of the parts to this short story at the blogs below:  

Part 1—Monday, Nov 3^rd.One Guy's Guide To Good Reads | Talk Books to Me | Vera is Reading | sarit | Just Booked | A Life Bound By Books | My Favorite Things | Reading Addict

Part 2—Tuesday, Nov 4Home Is Where the Wine Is Book Blog | Can't Talk, I'm Reading | Addicted Readers | Best Book Boyfriends | One Last Page Book Blog

Part 3—Wednesday, Nov 5SnoopyDoo's Book Reviews | mustreadbooksordie | Hooked On Books Forever | 101 Ways to Make Love to a Spoon | I Heart YA Books | Travels n Reads |Between The Lines

Part 4—Thursday, Nov 6Red's Book Blog | The Geekery Book Review | Rustys Reading | bookshelf dreaming | GenGen's Book Blog | FictionZeal.com

Part 5—Friday, Nov 7Obsessed by Books | Naughty Book Eden | Reading Is My Superpower | River Book Reviews | Whirlwindbooks | Collector of Book Boyfriends

Author Bio:


ANLatro loves good wine and the ocean, and prefers to write with both. She has a passion for bad boys in books, and stories that make you feel. She can most often be found along the Florida coast.

Find ANLatro Online:

Twitter | Facebook | Author Goodreads 

GIVEAWAY!!!

 >>>CLICK HERE TO ENTER TO WIN!!!<<<

Yesterday I helped reveal a puzzle piece for these cover and today is the full cover reveal of THE FUTURE WITHOUT HOPE by Nazarea Andrews. This is the 3rd book in 'The World Without End' series.

Title: The Future Without Hope (The World Without End Book 3)
Author: Nazarea Andrews
Publisher: A&A Literary  (November 20th, 2014)
Add to: Goodreads
Order here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository, Amazon UK

NOTE: This is a "New Adult" novel. Due to mature content this title is recommended for ages 17+

Synopsis: Separated from Finn, captive of the Order, Nurrin has no hope left. But she has survived twenty years of zombies--and she has the unshakable faith that Finn will find her.

But Finn is a long way away. The Order's influence runs deeper than was ever suspected, and politics are shifting--and zombies may not be the most dangerous thing she's facing.

Finn always thought the war stripped him of all he had to lose. But with Nurrin missing and doors closing in his face, he realizes there is always more for the world to take--and he will drag the remains of civilization down with him before he gives up on the only promise that matters.

Excerpt:

Each of has a moment where we hit rock bottom. Where nothing makes sense, and going on—fighting to live—is just too much. Each of us have faced that kind of devastating loss.

Before Emilie, and everything changed, life was easy. Not for everyone. There was disease and poverty, abuse and death and war. There was loss, in it’s way. But for so many, it was easy, and difficulties, when they came, faded just as quickly. Life was good.

And then the dead rose, and Atlanta fell, and nothing—not a fucking thing—was the same.

We tried. We tried to build our cities with the Haven walls, tried to keep life what it was with our false government in 1, and companies that tried to pretend that life wasn’t shattered beyond repair.

But it was. And when the dead are screaming, there is no pretending. When you have the very last thing you believe in stripped away, there is no way to look at our pretty falsehoods and see anything but the fucking lie that we’ve built out of the ashes of our dead.

We all have that moment.

And sitting here, in an empty train. This is mine.

About the Author: 

Nazarea Andrews is an avid reader and tends to write the stories she wants to read. She loves chocolate and coffee almost as much as she loves books, but not quite as much as she loves her kids. She lives in south Georgia with her husband, daughters, and overgrown dog.

Find Nazarea Online:

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | "The Infects" Street Team

I have some seriously amazing information for a fantastic event going on Sunday, October 12th! Do you love zombies?? Then you don't want to miss this!

  Note from Nazarea Andrews -- author of The World Without End series.

I am so so excited about Zombie Day!!!

Wait. What is zombie day?

Okay. So we’re revealing the cover of The Future Without Hope, book 3 in The World Without End series. And because I am so excited about this release, we’ve decided to do something fun.

On October 12th, we’ll be having an all day event where you can... ~Tweet or share on your facebook or post zombified pictures. ~Share graphic teasers with your favorite quotes from the first two books ~Follow the scavenger hunt cover reveal to put together the cover and find a special code ~Come by the party on Sunday at 10pm and talk with us about zombies and The Walking Dead (because come on. Let’s share the zombie love.)

I really hope that you all take part in the fun on Sunday!!! Tweet me @NazareaAndrews or use the hashtag, #BringontheHorde  

 

That's not all! You can follow along and have even more fun on Monday, October 13th when the FULL cover of The Future Without Hope is revealed. This is also the kick off of The World Without a Future's (book #1) read-a-long blog tour. It will take place during the days of October 13-17, 20-24, and Nazarea will be posting a wrap-up post on Monday, October 27th.

 Be sure to join us for all of the zombie celebration events! There will be flash giveaways, fan contests, teasers and excerpts revealed, and more!

 

About the Author: 

Nazarea Andrews is an avid reader and tends to write the stories she wants to read. She loves chocolate and coffee almost as much as she loves books, but not quite as much as she loves her kids. She lives in south Georgia with her husband, daughters, and overgrown dog.

Find Nazarea Online:

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | "The Infects" Street Team