Cover Reveal: Unwanted Stars by Melissa Brwon
Release Date: February 3 2014
Blurb
It’s
funny how the tiniest of things can change your life… an invitation, a simple
kiss goodnight, a matchbook…
Auden
Kelly is in need of a change.
She’s
trading in her nine-to-five sales job for the adventure of a lifetime: a one
year contract with a European tour company.
For
one full year, Auden will get paid to see the world. What could be better? Her
brother gives her a journal, instructing her to document all of her adventures
as she travels from country to country. And that’s exactly what she does.
When
a mysterious stranger enters her life, however, everything changes: her
expectations, her priorities and her view of the world. And nothing for Auden
will ever be the same.
Note: Although these books are
part of a series, they do not need to be read in order
********
Amazon: http://amzn.to/10rMTqh
Barnes & Noble:
http://tinyurl.com/oknshlb
Blurb:
Ever
since Daphne Harper graduated from college, all of her friends have fallen in
love, become engaged and walked down the aisle. Be it a blessing or a curse,
Daphne (a hopeless romantic and perpetual single girl) catches the bouquet at
every single wedding she attends.
Daphne’s
love life is a mess. Her first love, Mayson, haunts her heart and keeps her
from pursuing happiness with any man who comes along. As she struggles to move
on from the one who got away, Daphne wonders if she will ever break her curse
and find her happily ever after.
Amazon: http://amzn.to/10rN7xC
Barnes & Noble:
http://tinyurl.com/l9xt3xm
Blurb:
Kate Armour and Evan Maxwell fell hard and fast for each
other while attending college. Their once passionate and loving relationship
ended when old scars eventually tore them apart. Two years after their breakup,
they're each struggling to piece together what went wrong in an attempt to move
forward.
Kate, a no-nonsense bartender, must face her past while
attempting to focus on her future.
Evan is stifled by his bitter heart, which threatens each
and every relationship he attempts after walking away from Kate.
Will life offer them a second chance at love or are old
patterns simply too hard to break?
ONLY $2.00
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1b2jpq1
Blurb:
Hadley Foster has been
through a lot in her twenty-two years: the death of her beloved father, her
mother’s descent into mental illness, and the loss of her soulmate, Jason
Kelly, from whom she walked away years ago.
Despite all this,
Hadley has remained hopeful and optimistic about life. She has been with
upstanding investment banker Tucker for six years, and the future looks
bright—until a trip to Europe with her best friend brings a series of events no
one could have foreseen. Suddenly the brilliant future she has envisioned for
herself seems to shatter before her eyes. She is faced with a stark choice:
move on again, or pick up the pieces.
Back home, nerdy but
handsome Jason Kelly is now a successful writer who could have anything—and
anyone—he wants. But deep down, he still misses his beloved “Haddie” and dreams
of winning her back.
When destiny leads
their paths to cross once more, Hadley and Jason must confront not only their
painful past, but what the future may hold for them both.
Excerpt #1
I was distracted from my daydreaming by the most intense
eyes I’ve ever seen. The were blue, the brightest blue. Although one of them
had a patch of brown next to the pupil. Tan skin, blue eyes, dark brown hair.
And a stare that made me uncomfortable.
I’d noticed him before. The first day of the tour, in
fact. He reminded me of Henry Cavill. Broad shoulders, tight ass, bulging
muscular arms and a gorgeous face. When he smiled, he had a boyish look about
him, but when his lips were pressed tight, like when he was listening to
Anabelle describe the sights, he looked like an alpha male. A hot, dangerous
alpha male. I’d purposely avoided him because I didn’t want to give Anabelle
any ammunition towards getting me fired. And now that I knew Tom had blabbed, I
felt even more determined to keep my attraction in tact. I’d purposely stayed
away. I hadn’t even heard his voice yet. Was he American? Canadian? British?
But, now he was staring and I couldn’t avoid him any
longer.
“Auden, right?” he asked, offering me a fresh blueberry
from a ziploc bag. I narrowed my eyes at him and his choice of snack. Here we
were, in Amsterdam. He could buy a brownie laced with pot or a million
different kinds of sweets. But, he was munching on blueberries.
“Thanks,” I said, grabbing a couple berries from the bag
and popping them into my mouth. They were juicy and sweet. Almost intoxicating.
Stop it, Auden.
“Have you worked here long? I’ve never seen you before.”
It was then that I really heard his accent. British. Delicious.
“I’m new. But, why would you have seen me before?” I
tilted my head in confusion.
“My mates and I like to take trips every few months. Blow
off steam.” He said, popping another berry into his mouth. His lips were a
gorgeous shade of peach. “And Jordan’s the best.”
“I see.” I said, pressing my lips together, not knowing
what else to say. It wasn’t often that a man could get me tongue tied. But, it
was happening. All I could focus on was the dimple on his right cheek when he
smiled. And how his left eye had a small patch of brown within the blue.
“Unique name.”
“Huh?” He snapped me out of my daze. “Uh, yeah. I guess.”
“Don’t hear it very often.” He said.
It was then that I realized I didn’t know his. And it was
my job to know it. How was I going to get out of this one?
“Campbell,” he said,“Campbell Hutchins.”
“Like the soup?” I said. As soon as the words left my
mouth, I knew they were unprofessional. But, he simply laughed.
“Wow, never heard that before.” He said, running his
fingers through his silky brown hair, “My friends call me Hutch.”
“Seriously?” I asked, taken aback.
“What do you mean?” He looked confused.
“As in Starsky &
Hutch?” I pressed.
“You are way too
young to know that reference.” He said, shaking his head from side to side.
“They made a movie reboot when I was in high school. Ben
Stiller and Owen Wilson…remember?”
“Right.” He said with a lopsided grin. He had such a
boyish charm to his smile, it was unnerving.
“Besides, you don’t seem old enough to know the original
show either. That was the seventies.” I narrowed my eyes at him. He could be in
his early thirties, but there was no way he was old enough to have watched that
show when it was on the air.
“Saw it in reruns.” He said with a shrug.
“Nice to meet you, Starsky.” I said with a smirk. He shook
his head at me and extended his hand like the English gentleman that he was. I
tried my best not to feel the electrical current coursing through every nerve
in my body. This was a brand new sensation. Which is saying a lot considering
my boy-crazy history. This was unique and terrifying and wonderfully exciting.
“Sorry, I mean Hutch of course. So,
Campbell…where’d your parents think of that one?”
“Do you always interrogate tour members about their
names?” he asked with a chuckle. My cheeks turned pink when I realized I
usually didn’t give a crap about people’s names or the origin of said names.
But, he was different. It was like I needed to know anything I could learn
about this handsome stranger.
“Just answer the question,” I said, flirting with a tilt
of my head and arms crossed across my chest.
For a second, everything stopped as Campbell looked down
at my feet. He smirked as his eyes climbed up my calf and to my thighs. They
lingered there for just a second before continuing up to my torso, my chest and
finally my face. When our eyes met, he grinned and I suddenly felt as naked as
the day I was born.
“Tradition.” He answered. When I looked confused (because
obviously I’d forgotten the question since he’d studied every inch of my body
as if he wanted to devour me). “I’m named after my great grandfather. He was
kind of a hero in my town.”
“Where are you from?”
“Jersey.”
What?
“Um, no. Try again.”
“What do you mean?” he asked with a chuckle.
“I’m from the states, pal. I know when someone’s from
Joi-zee and when they’re not. And you clearly are not. Where are you really
from?”
He threw his beautiful head back in laughter, that dimple
once again making a grand entrance on his cheek. Something twitched in my
belly—desire, I think. Until I realized he was laughing at me.
“And you call yourself a tour guide? The island of
Jersey…one of the Channel Islands…” His voice trailed off as he leaned his
forehead in my direction. If he could read my mind, this is what it would say:
I.
Am.
A.
Dumbass.
You know those moments when you really just want to crawl
in a hole and forget your poor excuse for a life? Yeah, this was one of those
moments. I could never get that moment back. I could never convince this gorgeous
man that I was not only aware of the Channel Islands, but had probably been to
one or two of them as a child. I just wanted to slink back to the tour bus and
hide behind the seats. So not like me. I didn’t let men get under my skin.
Hell, I got under their skin. Who was
this guy?
“Uh--Of course,” I said, stumbling on my words. “I was
just kidding.”
Just then, I was saved by another member of the tour. A
mousy brain haired American girl named Becca.
“Excuse me, Auden. Anabelle needs you.”
Thank God.
“I’d better, um…go,” I said.
“Until we meet again,” he said with a chuckle.
Not if I can help it. The
next three weeks would be agony if I had to dodge that gorgeous man every time
our bus made a stop. Lord, beer me strength.
Excerpt #2
“I love this bridge. It’s
gorgeous, isn’t it?”
“Yes,” I said, my voice small.
Campbell’s brow knitted in concern, “Auden, is everything
all right?”
“Why do you ask?”
“You seem distant. Did something happen today? With
Anabelle?”
“No,” I said, looking out into the water, “just thinking.”
“About me?” he said, a smug grin plastered to his handsome
face. I shook my head in amusement, cracking a smile without meaning to.
“Perhaps,” I said.
“Look,” he said, “all kidding aside. I’m into you. You
must know that by now.”
“I do.”
“But, your job means everything to you. And it’s not fair
of me to ask you to risk it.”
I said nothing, hoping he’d continue.
“So, if you want to call this off. If you want me to leave
you alone. Just say the word.”
The thought of missing out on whatever this was with
Campbell was more than I could handle. Without hesitation, my head shook as I
focused my eyes on his.
“I’m into you, too,” I said. “A lot.”
Campbell closed the space between us, whispering into my
ear, “Then be with me.”
I swallowed hard, closing my eyes and listening to his
words. Craving them, wanting more. Wanting his hands on me. Knowing that’d be
next to impossible out here in the public eye. Knowing that finding actual
privacy would be just as impossible.
His hand was warm in my grip. I squeezed it in solidarity,
wanting him to know his desire for me was reciprocated. He placed a gentle kiss
on the tip of my ear, before leading me across the stone bridge.
Hand in hand, we walked, gazing at the water, the tourists
and the shop owners of the market. We didn’t say much, which felt odd at first.
But, the silence between us became soothing and calm. His hand in mine, the way
his thumb grazed over my fingers was all I needed to feel content.
Street lamps were the only light to be found by the time
the water bus was back in our sights. Campbell stopped walking. His eyes were
on fire as he took me in with his eyes. His need for me was obvious.
“Come with me,” he said, pulling me to the side of a
building. One small street lamp shined dim with burnt orange light. I leaned my
back against the stucco, feeling it’s cold, bumpy texture. Campbell placed his
hand against the building, just above my shoulder. His other hand pressed to my
hip.
“I can’t let you go yet,” he said, his eyes searching
mine.
Brave Auden finally decided to make her appearance.
“Good,” I said, lifting my chin. His eyes widened, pleased
with my response.
“Why?” he asked, exploring my neck with his lips.
“Why what?” I asked, playing dumb, yanking back on the
control once again.
“Why is that good?”
he asked, placing gentle kisses along my jawline.
“Because…” that simple word hung in the air for several
moments. Campbell continued to seduce my skin with his lips and I did my best
to slow down my breathing.
“Tell me,” he said.
“Because…”
“Tell me,” he repeated.
“I want you,” I said. The words left my mouth in a
whisper.
Campbell stopped his kisses and I could feel his cheek
against my neck. It was puffing out, forming a satisfied smile.
“Tell me again,” he said, pulling back, gazing into my
eyes.
I swallowed, unsure if I should say it again. But,
terrified at the thought of not
saying it.
“I—I… I want you.” I said, my eyes narrowed. I was trying
desperately to hide my fear, my anxiety, my lack of self-control around this
man.
“You’re exquisite,” he said, his fingers running down the
sides of my cheeks before he cupped his hands to them and kissed me. Hard.
His tongue entered my mouth immediately and I stroked him
with mine. Delicious strokes that left me wanting more. And more. His fingers
weaved through my hair, pulling gently at the base of my scalp. My back dug
into the stucco, but I didn’t care.
Harder and harder, he pressed me into the building, my
arms wrapped around his neck as his hands wandered down to grip my ass,
hoisting my legs around him, my heels digging into the small of his back. He
was hard beneath his jeans and it excited me. The feel of him beneath me was
intoxicating.
Campbell pulled his mouth from mine, pushing me up further
so that his lips were level with my chest. Slowly, he unbuttoned the top
buttons of my tunic, exposing the lace of my bra.
“So sexy,” he said, running his fingers across the lace,
causing goosebumps to rise along my arms and legs.
“Say it again,” I said, enjoying his appreciation of my
body.
“You’re so fucking sexy. I can hardly stand it.”
“You want me, don’t you?” I asked with a smirk.
“You know I do,” he said, before dipping his head into my
chest, stroking the skin beneath the lace with his tongue. A moan escaped my
lips as I pressed my hips into his arousal.
The water bus let out three long sounds of the horn.
“Shit,” Campbell said, knowing that was the signal for
last boat of the night.
“Last call. We’d better…um, we should probably go,” I
said.
“I know, but…”
“I know,” I said, pressing my forehead to his. “I know.”
Slowly, he lowered me to the ground, buttoning my top for
me and smoothing down my hair. Such a gentleman. He was practically devouring
me just a minute prior, but when reality resurfaced, so did his chivalrous
nature.
We ran to the water bus, hands again interlocked. But,
when a few members of the tour hopped on the boat, my hands jumped quickly to
my lap. We remained detached all the way back to our hotel, saying a casual
goodbye for the night, knowing the tour members eyes were upon us.
About The Author
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LissaLou77
I have
always been fascinated with books----ever since I was a little girl sitting in
front of my record player, following along with my huge 12x12 storybooks.
I love
books---everything about them. I love reading them, being surrounded by them in
bookstores and libraries, and most recently, writing some of my own.
Giveaway
Win a $25 Gift Card
Comments