Book Blitz & Giveaway: The Hit Mom by K. Marie (Adult Romantic Thriller)

 

The Hit Mom
K. Marie
Publication date: November 7th, 2020
Genres: Adult, Romance, Thriller

The instructions were simple. Transport the package and deliver it on time.

That didn’t happen.

Because of that, Harmony Saxton almost died. Yet, she stared death in the face that day and was miraculously spared.

Now, four years later, she questioned whether she’d truly been spared at all. Because when the devil gave the order that day, staying her life, he also sealed her fate. Harmony was indebted to a monster—trapped in a dangerous world of politics and death, paying the ultimate price for loving the wrong man.

But hadn’t she paid enough for someone else’s sins? Was she meant to be punished for life?

Harmony would rather be dead. Except, she had one very good reason to live, and that was for her son, Teddy.

So then, how would it ultimately end? Did she dare to do the unthinkable to attain her freedom?

Harmony knew there was only one way to ensure her survival. The only question was, would she be able to look the devil in the eye when the time came…or would she shoot him in the back?

The Hit Mom is a gripping, fast-paced story that is guaranteed to take you on a head-spinning journey where danger is always around the corner, and things aren’t always as they seem!

*This book is standalone and told in a dual POV.
**Intended for ages 18 and over. Content contains violence, strong language, and sexual situations.

Goodreads / Amazon

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EXCERPT:

Harmony

It was unseasonably warm for late October in southern California, but today seemed a day like any other. The sun shone brightly in the east, while a breeze feathered gently across my skin, carrying with it the earthy perfume of fall.

In the distance, street traffic hummed along at a steady pace, while the occasional tinkle of laughter, or the wail of a cry, pierced the relative quiet around me. But my eyes stayed trained on the figure up ahead.

I moved along the energetic walking path of Edgewater Park carrying a large tote in one hand and clutching a child-sized palm in the other. To the casual observer, I was just one of the crew; another overworked and under-appreciated mom who sought a couple of hours outside the systematic prison that we called home.

Others might’ve judged me as the world’s worst mother, but not those who greeted me with warm, welcoming smiles as I strolled casually by. Here, I belonged. I fit right in with my black well-worn yoga pants, athletic jacket, and three-year-old Nikes.

I was an empathetic creature who gets it. I too, rose each morning to daily complaints from sullen children who lamented the necessity of attending school. I was also a slave to endless loads of laundry, meal preparations, cleaning up after others, and the dreaded car-pool. It felt nice to fit in somewhere—to be an accepted member of a clan I’d secretly termed ‘The League of Martyrs’.

But today, unbeknownst to them, I was probably their worst nightmare.

Yes, it seemed a day like any other. Except for me, it served as yet another test, as well as a grotesque reminder of the high price I’ve had to pay for my very life.

“Can I do it now, mommy?” asked Teddy, impatient to let loose with his new toy. It was a high-tech drone that was far too expensive to have been gifted to a child.

“Just a little further, sweetheart, I promise,” I told the toddler, keeping my eyes on the target.

My son predictably groaned his disapproval.

Up ahead, the man I had been tracking finally slowed to a stop in front of a well-worn park bench. After removing an old hankie from his pants pocket, he wiped the space clean before taking a seat. It was a routine, and the same one I’d seen him perform the past two days.

Every day at precisely noon, Henry L. Weiss; an unethical local politician, took his lunch break in the park located almost two blocks from his office. I looked on as he opened the crinkled brown paper bag that he always carried and pulled out a sandwich of unknown composition.

“Okay Teddy, we can do it here,” I told my son, pointing to a patch of grass about fifteen feet away.

“Yay!” he cheered loudly, running ahead of me.

To the casual observer, we were just a harmless mother and son out enjoying a beautiful day in the park. When in truth, I was likely the most dangerous thing out here.

Because today’s outing served two purposes, an opportunity for Teddy to try out his new toy, as well as the completion of a job for me. Yes, I brought my son to work with me. Don’t judge—you have no idea the shit I’ve been through.

Author Bio:

K. Marie first fell in love with books when a good friend bequeathed her with her very first Harlequin Romance novel. Reading has always been her escape, but writing is her passion. So, it was only natural that she would one day write her own steamy tales of sex, lies, love and redemption.

In her novels, you'll find gripping stories that are rife with hunky heroes, feisty heroines, an unexpected plot twist, and a little bit of gangster. K. Marie is a self-professed feminist who believes in unabashedly indulging the female fantasy. However, she doesn't guarantee you'll always get a happily ever after. Okay, or maybe you will!

K. Marie is a Michigan native. Some of her favorites are coffee, wine, fashion and music. When not writing, she's hard at work creating beautiful graphics and publications for clients, taking on DIY home projects, spending time with her family, and planning her next vacation.

Looking to connect with K. Marie? You can always find her on Instagram or Facebook.

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Blog Tour & Giveaway: The Secret Brokers (Secret Brokers , #1) by Alexandrea Weis (Adult Romantic Suspense/ Thriller)

The Secret Brokers
Alexandrea Weis
(Secret Brokers, #1)
Published by: Vesuvian Books
Publication date: April 7th, 2020
Genres: Adult, Romance, Suspense, Thriller

Dallas August runs a dangerous business—an organization of elite spies for hire.
The secrets trade.
Nothing is off limits, and no price is too high.
When asked to uncover what recluse Gwen Marsh knows about a Mafia kingpin’s death, Dallas poses as a bodyguard to get close to his target, but the stubborn Asian beauty wants nothing to do with him. As the FBI and the Mafia close in, danger drives them together, but can he protect Gwen, or will Dallas be the one risking everything to discover what she is really hiding?
Dallas August is about to find out how dangerous life can be as one of the Secret Brokers.
Once you are in, there is no turning back.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble

Author Bio:
Alexandrea Weis is an advanced practice registered nurse who was born and raised in New Orleans. Having been brought up in the motion picture industry, she learned to tell stories from a different perspective and began writing at the age of eight. Infusing the rich tapestry of her hometown into her award-winning novels, she believes that creating vivid characters makes a story memorable. A permitted/certified wildlife rehabber with the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries, Weis rescues orphaned and injured wildlife. She lives with her husband and pets in New Orleans.

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Release Tour & Giveaway: Carbon Replacements: A Romantic Thriller by Reily Garrett (Romantic Thriller)

Title: Carbon Replacements

Series: The McAllister Justice Series #4

Author: Reily Garrett

Genre: Romantic Thriller

Release Date: September 9, 2018 Cover Designer: Rylan Killian

The killer held a knife to her throat—the ultimate decision locked within a dark and deviant gaze.

Determined and dedicated, forensic pathologist Remie Tallin validates her talent by detailing a victim’s last moments of life. Returning to Portland signified her new beginning where a psychopathic stalker designates her a pawn in a seductive game of intrigue.

The lines between predator and prey blur in hunting a medical genius bent on resetting the laws of nature. Evidence has never failed to point Remie in the right direction, yet conflicting discoveries mock the legal system and defy the scientific arena for clarification.

Detective McAllister’s return from leave includes a new assignment along with a partner well versed in subtle sarcasm and innuendos. Discovering the new medical examiner unconscious at the scene of a grisly murder forces him to unite with his brothers against a world of chaos where reality shifts according to a psychopath’s desire.

“Wendy, I’m t-tellin’ you, the man’s a serial killer. He has the body of a Greek God, but his mind is full of squirming maggots.” Gena stifled a sob with a shaking hand, her body wedging back against the driver’s door after twisting to face her roommate beside her. “He’s more depraved than any fucker we’ve ever crossed, and he’s going to find me.” Aftereffects of the adrenaline rush magnified tremors in her fingers and lips while increasingly shallow breaths expelled carbon dioxide faster than her body could produce it. No doubt, the by-products of dizziness, cramps, and weakness crept into her awareness. Fear-sweat on her forehead glistened from distant flashes of lightning.

“Hey, slow down. Take a deep breath. You’re new to this and easily spooked. Just because men are pigs doesn’t mean they’re murderers. Take the money he gave you and don’t see him again. Change your number. Lay low for a bit.” Wendy startled with the repetitive crash of thunder reverberating in the Honda’s dark and eerie confines. “Can I at least see what’s got your panties in a twist?” She reached for the black cloth covering her friend’s evidence only to be pushed away.

“Oh God, Wendy. I shouldn’t have dragged you and Remie out here tonight. The creep knows I’m a sophomore, but I didn’t tell him which college. I don’t want him to find either of you.”

“Shit, Gena. I may be a student, but I can take care of myself.” A note of uncertainty snaked through Wendy’s voice.

From the back seat, Remie contemplated the wind’s increasing fury, so like her own, sweeping, all encompassing, erratic. Parked along a deserted back road hours before dawn didn’t equate to a tranquil setting when listening to accusations of murder. I should’ve brought my dog. Buckeye would’ve waited in the SUV. She’d just moved back to Portland and lacked the normal discreet channels of investigation derived from time-developed working relationships. Not that I’ve figured out what the problem is yet.

Small raindrops pattering the passenger window progressed to a heavy deluge that silvered with the dashboard’s ambient light. It was a perfect night to snuggle under a blanket with a cup of cocoa and a scary book. Living the scenario brought the rancid taste of bile scalding Remie’s throat.

“Girls, you know I’m a doctor, not a cop, right? What happened to toning life down to live like normal human beings? No more adrenaline junkie. Gena, it’s not like you need the money for tuition. Jesus, if your parents knew what you were doing for thrills, it would kill them both.” Years of schooling in forensic pathology aged Remie decades in the eyes of college girls too naïve to avoid such foolish and dangerous behavior. More than ten years difference thrust her into the role of adopted mentor to the neighborhood wild child with crazy tattooed on her brain.

“Jesus. I’m so sorry, Remie. You spent a night in the hospital last week after wrecking your car. You don’t need this.” Unspoken recriminations gathered around Gena like a smoldering blanket, the flameless combustion withering her resolve.

“I’m fine. The few scrapes and bruises have already healed.”

“I figured a few tricks for kicks, no harm. It’s not like I don’t use condoms, and we’ve only done it a couple times.”

“The harm is that there are real nutjobs out there. Deranged people you do not want to meet. Trust me. I see the results of their work every day during necropsies. It’s what I do… remember?” Visions of Gena lying on a cold slab while an ME separated the upper part of her cranium to create a removable skullcap strengthened Remie’s determination to see the situation resolved.

“Roomie, what makes you think he was a killer? Did he threaten you? Did you see a gun?” Wendy laid a calming hand on her roommate’s arm. “Hell, everybody has guns these days. I’ve got a .357 stashed in my bedside table. Let some psycho come to my dorm looking for easy targets—he’ll get a hollow-point surprise.”

Gena, the cute little kid from the farm next door with wide hazel eyes and curly brown hair had grown up with a nose for trouble, yet usually lacked affiliation with high drama. With the start of the spring semester, the risky escapades should’ve ceased.

“While he was in the can, I picked the lock on his briefcase, thinking he was some kind of lawyer or something.” If not for the frightened gaze bouncing between the proof clenched in her fingers and the nebulous woods on either side of the lonely road, Gena could’ve been any college student recounting a dicey hazing ritual. The tone and pitch of her voice increased when she unfolded the fabric covering her stolen treasure. “I saw syringes full of something, along with empty containers, and these. I also found alcohol swabs and betadine solution. Who carries betadine in a briefcase?”

“You stole from a John? Are you crazy?” Wendy snatched the wooden box with a huff and a groan.

Detailing around the container’s top edge included an intricate inlay bearing a darker grain. Similar designs decorated urns. “You better hope we can return them before he notices they’re gone. Where did you hook up?”

Wendy slid the lid back on the six-by-six inch square. The smooth glide on concealed grooves further testament to the boosted prize’s value.

Shadows shielded the contents from Remie’s view.

Wendy’s high-pitched scream rendered the burgeoning storm to white noise, instinctual awareness hurling the box’s contents against the windshield. Their arc proved too fast to visually track. Two pink lumps, small and irregularly shaped, formed the basis for a new nightmare.

The rattle and thump of the container ended when it landed perched on the steering wheel, upside down.

“Fuck! What the hell are those?” First medical school, then forensic pathology, enlightened Remie to evil’s worst-case scenarios. Her mom once said that after indoctrination, nothing new would appear under the sun. Whoever created this mayhem transcended anything evolved from humanity’s convoluted gene pool.

A sudden gust of wind and rain blew in as the driver’s door flew open. Gena lurched forward and hunched away from the torrent of slashing storm riding the invading cool blast. Her descent into hell included a flash of silver and guttural laugh.

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Reily is a West Coast girl transplanted to the opposite shore. When she’s not working with her dogs, you can find her curled up with a book or writing her next story. Past employment as an ICU nurse, private investigator, and work in the military police has given her countless experiences in a host of different environments to add a real world feel to her fiction.

Over time, and several careers, many incidents have flavored the plots of her stories. Man’s cruelty and ingenuity for torment and torture is boundless, not contained by an infinite imagination. Witnessing the after-effects of a teenager mugged at knifepoint for a pair of tennis shoes, or an elderly woman stabbed repeatedly with a screwdriver for no apparent reason, left an indelible impression that will forever haunt her subconscious. In counterpoint, she has observed a woman stop her vehicle in severe, snowy weather to offer her own winter coat to a stranger, a teenager wearing a threadbare hoodie. Life’s diversities are endless.

Though her kids are her life, writing is Reily’s life after. The one enjoyed after the kids are in bed or after they’re in school and the house is quiet. This is the time she kicks back with laptop and lapdog to give her imagination free rein.

In reading, take pleasure in a mental pause as you root for your favorite hero/heroine and bask in their accomplishments, then share your opinions of them over a coffee with your best friend (even if he’s four-legged). Life is short. Cherish your time.

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