Excerpt: IT'S JUST A F***ING DATE, by Greg Behrendt & Amiira Ruotola

In case you missed it, today bestselling authors of He's Just Not That Into You Greg Behrendt and Amiira Ruotola stopped by The View to chat it up about their newest book It's Just a F***ing Date, a fun and easy guide that give you the tools, not the rules, to the art of dating. 

So today, we'd love for you to check out this excerpt straight from the book. Get your copy of It's Just A F***ing Date on Amazon, Kobo, the iBookstore, Barnes & Noble, Bookshout, the Sony store, & Audible!

From My Name Is Amiira and I'm A Bad Dater (It's Just A F***ing Date): 

“It seems like I should have figured that I was doing it wrong after the fiasco of my first marriage. Want to talk about going fast? It was love at first sight … except for the fact that he had a girlfriend. It was a matter of months before they broke up and we got together, so to make up for lost time we spontaneously got married in Vegas by an Elvis impersonator. That’s good, right? I had never been to his home, we hadn’t met each other’s families and probably didn’t know each other’s middle names. We did have similar record collections, so that should have been enough. Well, not surprisingly, it turns out that we didn’t really know each other that well, along with other biggies that eluded us, like similar values and the desire for children. So that didn’t work out, but I learned my lesson about jumping in too fast. Or did I? My next relationship went straight from “Nice to meet you” to “We should go to Barbados on vacation.” At least I had seen his house before packing my bikinis, plus we did have similar record collections. But ultimately we got too intense too quickly and we burned out on each other. Strike two! It’d be nice if there wasn’t a strike three, but there he was and who could resist the best friend that proclaims his love after too many Heinekens? Not I. So into instant boyfriend I fell. You know what happens when you go from being best friends to instant significant others? You realize that you probably weren’t meant to be boyfriend/girlfriend but are trapped in a relationship with a person you love but “not in that way.” That didn’t end well. So at this point I recognized that speed was my foe and the way I dated wasn’t working for me. The relationships I got myself into were plagued by the lack of certainty from rushing myself or someone else into feelings that weren’t fully cultivated. Then I met Greg Behrendt, who must have been doing the same thing in his life, because he was Mister Take It Slow. Nice. We went out on our first date, which was very good; in fact, we decided that we would go out again while still on the date. But then I broke up with him. Huh? It’s a long story involving an ex-boyfriend that wouldn’t go away. However, he said the most amazing thing upon hearing my true but cockamamie-sounding story about the ex-boyfriend on my lawn that prohibited me from dating him right now. He said, “It’s also okay if you don’t like me like that.” What?! Who the hell was this completely self-possessed guy? I told him truly that I didn’t know yet whether I liked him but would be interested in finding out. So we dated, the old-fashioned way. He called ahead, asked me out, plans were made and we went on dates. We also dated other people while dating each other. There was no hopping in the sack, no racing to lock it down, no panic about what the other was thinking, feeling, doing. Then one day he said something mind-blowing: “I’m not going to date other people. I only want to go out with you, but I don’t expect you to do the same until you’re ready to.” What?! Who the hell is this guy who is going to stop dating other people but not demand I do the same? I had never even heard something remotely similar to that sentiment. So we continued dating and soon after I came to the same conclusion that he did … I didn’t want to date other people. So there we were as boyfriend and girlfriend because we both truly wanted to be that and had figured it out at our own pace. Revolutionary!"

New Releases 01/28: Backlist thriller series, re-released as eBooks

This week is going to be BAD-- Anthony Bruno's backlist Bad series is now available as eBooks. Check out all six off these humorous thriller titles.

Bad Guys: A Gibbons & Tozzi Novel (Book 1) introduces FBI agents Mike Tozzi and Cuthbert Gibbons, odd-couple partners and dedicated mob-busters. 

Hot-headed Tozzi goes renegade, and Gibbons is pulled out of retirement to stop him. Together they uncover a secret crime family headed by Richie Varga, a convicted mobster pulling the strings from the safety of the witness protection program. When Tozzi gets involved with Varga’s sexy ex, the fur really starts to fly.

Download Bad Guys now for FREE on Amazon, Kobo, and the iBookstore!



Also available for download are Bad Blood,  Bad Luck, Bad Business, Bad Moon, and Bad Apple, all on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and the iBookstore.

     

                                

Skip Bayless's backlist sport's title about the truth behind God's Coach and the American Team is out this week, as well. God's Coach: The Hymns, Hype, and Hypocrisy of Tom Landry's Cowboys will be available for download tomorrow!






And for those looking to add to their #readmore2014 list, Mary Hart Perry's up-and-coming historical romance The Shadow Princess is now available for pre-order on Amazon, Kobo, and the iBookstore. Pre-order your copy today or enter the Goodreads giveaway to win a free copy! Giveaway open until February 11th.

Goodreads Book Giveaway

The Shadow Princess

by Mary Hart Perry

Giveaway ends February 11, 2014.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Freebie-Friday: Romance edition

For today's Freebie-Friday, Diversion has six stunning romance titles, all available for download absolutely FREE!

No Greater Love: The Pascal Trilogy (Book 1) by Kathrine Kingsley
Available FREE on Amazon, the iBookstore, & Kobo.

Ominous rumors surrounding an exiled heir lead only to unquenchable curiosity for Georgia Wells. From bestselling author Katherine Kingsley.

Nicholas Daventry of Ravenswalk is a handsome man of dangerous passions, exiled to India by his uncle for his scandalous behavior. With news that Nicholas is returning, the mistress of Ravenswalk, ravishing and ruthless Lady Jacqueline Raven, warns young Georgia Wells to stay away and beware her unpredictable nephew.

But despite the warnings, Nicholas’ return has the opposite effect on Georgia, leading her to a choice that will turn her life upside down. Prepared to claim the legacy of his birth that is his due, Nicholas drags Georgia into a world of dark passions, a terrible betrayal – and love.

Silken Dreams by Lisa Bingham
Available FREE on Amazon, the iBookstore, & Kobo

A wanted man seeks refuge with the girl who wants him most.

Lettie Grey is in love with a man who exists only in her thoughts. The highwayman, dark and dangerous, dwells in her most wanton fantasies where he stirs her deepest desires. But when Ethan McGuire, a bank robber and fugitive, arrives in her small town, Lettie realizes the sensual stranger of her imagination is more than just a dream.

On the run from the law and a ruthless band of vigilantes, Ethan seeks shelter in the safety of Lettie’s small attic bedroom, and in the heat of her embrace. But can a man who trusts no one give away his heart in the midst of a fight for his life? 

Wild Heart by Jane Bonander
Available FREE on Amazon, the iBookstore, & Kobo

Living as a spinster and caring for her sister's illegitimate child, Julia Larson has never known passion. So she's surprised by the feelings that are stirred up when a secretive new ranchhand shows up to work on the Larson ranch. He's not a man she can trust, but as a violent fight for her land's water rights heats up, he may be the man she needs.

Wolf McCloud charms the ladies, but never sticks around long. Having traced the mother who abandoned him to Northern California, he never expects to be drawn to Julia Larson as more than a means to an end. Wolf wants to track down his past, but the possibility of a passionate future with Julia may be a call too rich to resist.

Stargazer by Michele Jaffe
Available FREE on Amazon, the iBookstore, & Kobo

The midnight shadows of Renaissance Venice conceal intrigue, romance...and murder.

Bianca Salva's love of science has led her to defy the conventions of her day and illicitly practice medicine among the poor of Venice. She's managed to keep her pass time a secret—until she is discovered over the lifeless body of a young courtesan, by the last person she'd ever want to see.

Ian Foscari, Conte d'Aosto, is known for being rich, handsome...and heartless. Finding Bianca over the dead body, he concludes she's the murderer. Yet for reasons he cannot explain, her protests move him. He offers to give her one week to prove her innocence, but she'll have to move into his house and be his prisoner. Her other option: the authorities and certain death.

Bianca has no choice but to agree to his maddening terms. She's furious at having to cede her hard won freedom, and unprepared for the effect of his presence on her, for the longings he awakes in parts of her body she's only studied in books. As Bianca struggles to focus on finding the killer, Ian fights his own battle between the undeniable attraction he feels for her and the painful scars of his past. 

When their mutual attraction blazes to life, they are both dazzled by it's force. Passion burns through their reserves, teaching them both to trust again. Love again. But this fragile alliance is soon tested. Lured into a web of scheming and betrayal, Bianca and Ian find themselves in a race against the clock to save their lives, their hearts, and the city of Venice itself.

Follow the Heart by Anita Mills
Available FREE on Amazon & the iBookstore

Left destitute after the death of her father, Sarah Spender can barely believe the good fortune that brings the handsome Captain Adam Hastings into her life. When Adam is sent overseas to tame the American Wilderness, even the distance between them cannot tame Sarah's love for him. They are bound together for better, for worse, and forever...

New eBook Release 1/20: Six historical romances, re-released as eBooks

With a new week comes six backlist re-release historical romances from Lisa Bingham.

For all you romance lovers, these new Lisa Bingham titles are for you. Silken Dreams, Silken Promises, Temptation's Kiss, Eden Creek, The Bengal Rubies, and Distant Thunder are all fiery and romantic, filled with characters as complex as they are passionate. Silken Dreams is currently available to download for FREE on Amazon, Kobo, and in the iBookstore.



Silken Dreams  follows Lettie Grey, a young girl who's in love with a man who only exists in her mind-- in her deepest thoughts and most wanton fantasies. He's dark and dangerous, a highwayman, and every night he waits for her in her dreams.

Then Ethan McGuire shows up in her town. A bank robber and a fugitive on the run from the law and a band of ruthless vigilantes, Lettie soon realizes that the sensual stranger from her thoughts is more than just a figment of her imagination.

Hiding out from the dangerous men pursuing him, Ethan seeks shelter in he safety of Lettie’s small attic bedroom, and in the heat of her embrace. But can a man who trusts no one give away his heart in the midst of a fight for his life? 

If you're a sucker for romance, indulge in all six of these stunning historical romances, available today on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, & in the iBookstore

Also, be on the lookout for another backlist series, due to make a comeback next week. Anthony Bruno's Gibbons & Tozzi series will be available as eBooks January 28th.

The first book in the Gibbons and Tozzi thriller series introduces FBI agents Mike Tozzi and Cuthbert Gibbons, odd-couple partners and dedicated mob-busters. 

Hot-headed Tozzi goes renegade, and Gibbons is pulled out of retirement to stop him. Together they uncover a secret crime family headed by Richie Varga, a convicted mobster pulling the strings from the safety of the witness protection program. When Tozzi gets involved with Varga’s sexy ex, the fur really starts to fly.

Bad Guys, Bad Blood, Bad Luck, Bad Business, Bad Moon, and Bad Apple will all be perfect mystery/thriller additions to your 2014 reading list. Request Bad Guys: A Gibbons & Tozzi novel for early review on NetGalley today!

Ten years ago, a poison left one city gripped in panic. Ten years later, it's happening again. An excerpt from TIME RELEASE by Martin J. Smith

Check out this excerpt from Time Release, Martin J. Smith's thrilling suspense about a murderous poison, and the crime one detective is determined not to let go unsolved once again.

A low hiss: the electronic crackle and hum of a 9-1-1 tape recorded from a television speaker. Then:

“Greene County Fire. Is this an emergency?”

“Yeah, uh, it’s my mom.” Young kid, early teens, voice cracking. “She was just putting the groceries away and, oh God, she’s really having trouble breathing. I’m the only one home.”

It was a Wednesday, late afternoon, early November, the temperature dropping fast. Downing knew that much from other news reports and the week-old Waynesburg Courier clipping that was folded into the envelope with the cassette. He imagined the rest: A bored dispatcher, a woman, expecting another space-heater fire out there among western Pennsylvania’s shivering rural poor. She’d have swept the mouthpiece of her headset down to her lips and jabbed the pickup button on the Automated Location Identifier, and the caller’s phone number and address would have flashed onto her video screen.

Downing checked the newspaper story. 29 Ruff Creek Lane, Waynesburg.

“What’s your name?”

“JoAnn Cuddy.”

“That’s your mom’s name, right? What’s your name?”

“Mark.”

Downing closed his eyes. The dispatcher would have typed in the name and poked another console button, channeling that information through the county’s Computer-Aided Dispatch System. An electronic form would have blinked onto her screen, listing the nearest major cross streets to 29 Ruff Creek Lane and a code signifying which local ambulance company covers that area.

“Okay, Mark. Can your mom talk?”

“No. No. I don’t think so. She’s really—”

“How old’s your mom?”

“Thirty-eight. No, thirty-nine.”

“Is she conscious?”

“Yeah, but, oh God. Can you send somebody really quick?”

She should have typed “conscious” into the form and transmitted it to—Downing opened his eyes and checked the newspaper story—Weaver Ambulance and Rescue in Waynesburg.

“They’re on their way. So your mom’s still breathing then?”

“Trying.”

Something glass shattered in the background, followed by the crunch of splitting wood and the heavy, sickening thump of flesh on floor. The phone banged again and again, hollow and sharp, like it was hitting a wall.

“Sir? Are you there? Sir?” Downing checked his watch. The digital timer raced through ten, fifteen, twenty seconds.

“She fell, then she threw up.” Kid’s voice panicky now.

“Is she still conscious?”

“Don’t think so.”

“What did she throw up?”

“Just some yogurt. She was eating it a couple minutes ago when she started, like, choking.”

The dispatcher probably went for her allergic reactions key-question cards. The prearrival instructions are printed on the back of them. Downing winced at the thought. So logical, but so useless.

“If she’s unconscious and still vomiting, I want you to turn her onto her side and make sure her airway is clear so she doesn’t choke. Can you do that?”

“Just a minute.” Panicked whimpers as the kid worked. Downing checked his watch again. Sounds of desperation filled his head.

“Okay. She’s on her side, but she’s hardly breathing. Oh God. Jesus! How long until they get here?”

“Stay with me now. Your mom have allergies? She wearing any sort of medical-alert bracelet?”

“This is really bad. No. No. She wasn’t allergic to anything, I don’t think.” Kid sobbing now.

“How’s her skin feel? Is it pale, cool, moist?”

“Hang on.” Downing flinched at the dropped handset’s hollow report “Skin’s cold, and really, really white.”

“Okay, listen. She’s going into shock. I want you to put her feet and legs up on something. If she’s on the floor, grab a kitchen chair and put her legs up on it. Got that?”

Silence, then the rhythmic cadence of convulsion, as unmistakable as the sound of lovers. Downing put his head down on the desk. So goddamned useless.

“Sir? Are you there?”

“She’s having a seizure or something. She’s—where the fuck are they?”

“Listen. This is important. Your mom is having convulsions. You need to move everything away from her, anything she could hurt herself on.”

“She’s—”

“Pots, pans, kitchen utensils, furniture. Make sure it’s all out of her reach. If she’s wearing a collar, loosen it if you can. And don’t try to restrain her. She’ll be all right.”

“Now?”

“Now. And don’t put anything in her mouth, especially your fingers.”

Downing’s head filled with more sounds—chairs tipping, a table being shoved aside.

“Oh God, she’s dying!” Kid screaming now. “What’s wrong with her?”

“Stay calm. She needs you. Is your mom pregnant?”

“No. No. What else should I be doing?”

Downing could almost see her struggle. The body overwhelmed, the eyes uncomprehending, reaching, clutching, dying.

“She stopped shaking, but I don’t think she’s breathing. Not breathing at all. Mom. Mom! What should I do?”

Downing could hear the dispatcher fumbling through her key-question cards. One choice left: CPR. But there was a commotion as she started her instructions.

“In here!” the caller shouted to the arriving paramedics, and the line went dead.

Want to read more? Time Release is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and in the iBookstore. 

Stay tuned for the next installment by Martin J. Smith, The Disappeared Girl, due to release in March.

New eBook Releases 1/14: Politcal Non-Fiction and a Fresh Dose of Contemporary YA

With this year's State of the Union Address right around the corner, the organization fighting to fix America releases a new political non-fiction!

No Labels: A Shared Vision for a Stronger America is available today!

 

Every year the President of the United States stands before Congress and the American people to deliver a State of the Union Address. What was once an opportunity for honest reflection on accomplishments and goals has become more of a laundry list than a speech—a grab bag of policy ideas, partisan rhetoric, and healthy dose of wishful thinking. Meanwhile, the gridlock in Washington means that virtually nothing in that speech will amount to anything but talk. 

Governor Jon Huntsman and Senator Joe Manchin, two of the most respected and straightforward political leaders in America, have a simple solution for Washington's gridlock. It begins with getting our leaders together at the table to agree to goals not just for their party but for the whole country. Stop having one party led by the president paint a single vision. Instead, create a shared vision for our country to aspire to—and then find a way to achieve it together. 

Look for No Labels: A Shared Vision for a Stronger America on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and in the iBookstore! 

Also, what YA fans have been waiting [im]patiently for, Suzy's Vitello's The Moment Before is available! Add it to your #readmore2014 list today!

“Don’t get me wrong. I loved my sister. I never, not once, wished her dead.”

Brady and Sabine Wilson are sisters born eleven months apart, but they couldn't be more different. Popular Sabine, the head cheerleader dating the high school hunk, seems to have all the luck, while her younger, artsy sister "Brady Brooder" is a loner who prefers the sidelines to the limelight.

After Sabine dies in a horrific cheerleading accident, grief unravels Brady and her family. Once recognized for her artistic talent, 17-year-old Brady finds herself questioning the value of everything she once held dear. Her best friend betrays her. Her parents’ marriage is crumbling. And the boy everyone blames for the accident seems to be her only ally in the search for answers in the wake of her sister’s death. As an unlikely friendship emerges, Brady learns more about Sabine—and love—than she bargained for.

Get your copy of The Moment Before on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and in the iBookstore!

New eBook release 1/07: A historical romance thriller series, now available as eBooks

It’s a new year and we’re excited to start it off with the re-release of a thrilling historical romance series!

The Stargazer is book #1 in the Arborotti series, and it follows Bianca Salva, a woman whose passion for science drives her to secretly practice medicine among the poor of Venice. But her cover is blown when she is discovered standing over a lifeless body by notorious womanizer, Ian Foscari. Convinced she is the murderer, Ian gives Bianca two options: turn herself into authorities, or prove her innocence.

Soon, Bianca finds herself in a race against the clock to clear her name and catch a killer, all while struggling to subdue her growing feelings for Ian that are becoming impossible to deny.

Add The Stargazer to your 2014 reading list and download it for FREE on Amazon, Kobo, and in the iBookstore. If you love it, check out the rest of the Arboretti series, The Water Nymph, Lady Killer, and Secret Admirer as well, available now!

Also, as just a reminder to all you YA lovers, The Moment Before will be released next week!



Though Brady and Sabine Wilson are only 11 months apart, the sisters couldn't be more different. While popular Sabine spends most of her time in the limelight, artsy Brady remains in her shadow, content in her position on the sideline.

But when Sabine is killed in a tragic cheerleading accident, Brady's whole world is shaken. As the life she's known crumbles around her, she struggles to keep herself together with the unlikely help of the same boy everyone blames for Sabine's accident.

In her search for answers in the wake of her sister's death, Brady learns more about Sabine, and love, than she bargained for.


Pre-order your copy now from Amazon, Kobo, or the iBookstore! Available 1/14.