Book Highlight: EMBLEM OF ETERNITY by Angela Corbett Books 1 & 2 - Excerpt + Giveaway

Eternal Starling Book 1

A love so strong, even eternity can’t separate them.

Evie Starling has lived a relatively uneventful life hanging out with friends, gossiping about boys, and driving her 1966 Mustang. All of that changes when she moves to Gunnison, Colorado, to start college and meets two mysterious men.

For centuries, Alex Night and Emil Stone have yearned for Evie—but they each have their own reasons for wanting to be with her. When both men claim to be her soul mate and tell her about an unbelievable past, Evie learns that she’s not the person she thought she was.

Soon, Evie finds herself in the middle of an age-old battle between the Amaranthine Society—the soul protectors, and the Daevos Resistance—the soul destroyers. With a past she doesn't understand, and a future rife with danger, Evie has to decide who she can trust. But Alex and Emil aren't the only ones who want Evie, and her soul is about to become the rope in an eternal tug-of-war.

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Eternal Echoes Book 2

She thought she stopped the evil.

She thought she was safe.

Everything she thought was wrong.

Almost four months have passed since Evie Starling learned she was a Tracker and helped defeat a Daevos Clan that was taking others like her—but that wasn’t the end of the abductions. As an unknown evil emerges, Evie vows to help solve the mystery of the missing Trackers, regardless of the risk.

With new powers she doesn’t understand and can’t control, she turns to Alex and Emil, her two soul mates, for help. But her feelings for them both are tearing her apart.

As the world around her is thrown into chaos, Evie is confronted with what could be a destiny-altering truth. Will she accept her history, her memories, and her role in this life, or choose to ignore the echoes of her past?

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Excerpt: Eternal Echoes (Emblem of Eternity trilogy, Book 2)

By Angela Corbett

I took a deep breath as I came out of the memory. I was getting better at keeping my flashback reaction less noticeable, but I still steadied myself against the gate. Alex noticed. “Are you okay?” he asked.

            I nodded, my breath less ragged. “I’m fine.”

            “Are you sure?” He came over and stood behind me, a commanding presence. His hands were a gentle weight on my arms as he turned me toward him. At first, he seemed to be looking for signs of distress, but as our eyes caught and held, I knew his thoughts were in other places, and mine were headed there, too. His hand slipped feather-light over my arms and down until they rested above my hips.

            Like I was having some sort of out-of-body experience, I watched as my hand went up to his face, tracing the line of his jaw. 

“We shouldn't be doing this,” I said in a very unconvincing way.

It wasn’t that I didn't mean what I said. I did. And I still had enough blood flowing to my brain to vocalize it. But I was having a hard time convincing my rational side I shouldn't be making out with Alex. 

Especially when my rational side was practically screaming that I’d kissed Emil last night and to be fair, I should also make out with Alex. My rational side told me I wouldn't want a double-standard. My rational side had lost its mind.

            

“Why?” Alex asked, inching slowly closer, his eyes dark in a way that made my legs feel like pudding.

            There were so many possible answers to that question, with reasonable arguments why we shouldn't proceed, that I wasn’t sure which to choose. I started with, “What if the bracelet doesn't work?”

            

Alex glanced down at my bracelet, giving a very slow smile I could only describe as predatory before eyeing me like he was preparing for an attack. 

Apparently a couple of centuries of sexual frustration will do that to you.

“It will,” he answered, still moving toward me.

            “How can you be sure?”

            Alex’s mouth curved slightly in a smile part rapacious, part entertained. “I've been waiting a long time for a relationship with you, Evie. And for everything that comes with it. I wouldn't have given you the bracelet if I wasn’t sure it would work. I gave it to you because I intend to put it to use.”

      Sheesh! Judging by his dark, focused gaze, I knew he wasn’t kidding.

            “I don’t think it’s a good idea.” 

I

 shook my head, like that would emphasize my argument and stop his sultry advances. It didn't. His arms went around me tight, pulling me to him. My chest crushed into his, the hard planes of his stomach

obvious even through our clothes. He stared down at me, not loosening his embrace. My breath was shallow as I stared back, wondering how long it would be until we both lost all common sense. He moved his lips over my cheeks, the soft skin brushing wispy strokes over my face. When he got to my ear, he took the soft pad in his lips and nipped lightly, then whispered one word.

“Why?”

Why? Why what? Had there been a question? I fumbled around in my head for what we’d been talking about. Oh.

That’s right. Bad idea. This is a bad idea. Why is it still a bad idea? What

was my list again? I did more fumbling and found one.

 “What about Emil?”

I felt Alex tense, his shoulders becoming taut under his shirt.

 “He’s not invited to this conversation.”

Geez! Alex had always been overbearing, but apparently when it came to sex, he was not only overbearing, but alarmingly primitive. Again, I attributed the aggression to decades of pent up frustration.

“Don’t you think he’ll be pissed?”

Alex kept kissing down my neck, and I moaned. His hands moved around to my stomach, unzipping my coat. He quickly discarded it on the ground.

“We all agreed to the rules,”

Alex said, his hands moving lightly under my sweater, inching it up ever so slightly. I’d never been addicted to anything, but imagined this was how addiction started. A little at a time. Alex pulled my sweater over my head, then kept kissing back up my neck and along my jawline.

“We’re not doing anything wrong.”

I looked at where our hands were, and the clothes slowly making their way to the ground. We were about to be doing things that were wrong in a very good way. 

“I guess it depends on your definition. Emil would think this is seriously wrong.”

The muscles at Alex’s jaw ticked, his eyes glittering with a combination of passion and anger. “I told you,” he said, moving swiftly, one arm sliding under my thighs, the other around my back. He lifted me, cradling me in his arms, and walked down the row of stalls to an empty stall at the end of the barn. Fresh hay was scattered in large mounds, creating a soft bed on the ground—albeit a scratchy one, but better than the dirt floor. He laid me down gently in the hay then straddled me, the years of want and need, written across his face. 

“We’re not talking about him.” 

With that, he was on top of me, the kiss aggressive. I could feel

my soul-mark burning, and my bracelet seemed to be giving off heat as well. If this kept up, I wouldn't be surprised if the whole barn burst into flames.

Angela Corbett graduated from Westminster College with a double major in communication and sociology. She started working as a reporter when she was sixteen and won awards for feature, news, and editorial writing. She has also done freelance writing.

 In addition to writing, she works as a director of communications and marketing. She loves classic cars, traveling, cupcakes, and U2. She lives in Utah with her extremely supportive husband and their five-pound Pomeranian, Pippin, whose following of fan girls could rival Justin Bieber's.

She writes YA/NA titles under the name Angela Corbett, and adult titles under the name Destiny Ford.

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Book Highlight: UNFILTERED & UNLAWFUL by Payge Galvin & Ronnie Douglas [Excerpt + Giveaway]

Book Highlight

Title: Unfiltered & Unlawful
Author: Payge Galvin & Ronnie Douglas
Series: Unfiltered #1
Genre: Adult Romance
Expected Publication: January 15, 2013

After a night-shift shooting of a drug dealer in The Coffee Cave, thirteen strangers each walk out with more than $100,000 in dirty money, a pact never to meet again, and the chance to start over …

Until that night, Sasha "Sugar" Kovac spent her days selling coffee to the co-eds at ASU Rio Verde and her nights trying not to run back to her ex…or join the throngs of girls lusting after her friend, Adam.

But why should Sugar give in to the Harley-riding tattoo artist when his longest relationships haven't lasted more than a weekend?

Sugar's life takes a turn for the dangerous when someone comes looking for the people connected to the Cave shooting and the cash they split. To protect herself and those she cares about, Sugar has to get out of town --and fast.  When Adam insists on coming with her, Sugar finds herself holed up in a tiny house with a hot man, a stash of cash, and a lot of secrets.

Can Sugar protect both her life and her heart when temptation is so close? Or is the past she's fled going to catch up with her?

"A full-throttle read that's dangerously sexy and exciting. I can't wait to see what happens next!"  -- Jeaniene Frost, NY Times bestselling author of the Night Huntress Series

                                                                                                       

  First there was sex, and then came death. I just had no idea that the two were so tangled together until everything fell apart so spectacularly.  I was at work at The Coffee Cave on Saturday night trying to ignore thoughts of the sex I couldn't have—and consequently craved even more than the drugs that I used to need more than my next gasp of air.

I’d been off the poison for going on five months and away from my ex, Tommy, for the same time. The difference was that I still slipped up on the sex with-Tommy front. It was stupid, but I wasn't ready to let go of the way we were without words or clothes between us.  Neither was Tommy.  If we had let go of the lingering threads of our two-year relationship, I’d be all over the beautiful tattoo artist who was smiling at me as I started a fresh pot of his favorite coffee.

Adam was the fantasy, the man I pictured when I allowed myself to dream of the happily ever after I’d never get.  I settled for calling him my friend, and being the eager recipient of his smiles and confidences.

“You know I’ll drink whatever you have brewed,” Adam said, his deep blue eyes crinkling at the corners .

“And you know you’re happy that I make the coffee you actually prefer.” I grinned at him.

I wasn’t flirting. I tried my damnedest not to do that with him. I was pretty sure that I was the only woman in Rio Verde who tried not to flirt with him. Adam Bradbery was six feet of taut muscle and gorgeous ink. With his smoothly-shaved head and five o’clock shadow, he was the kind of guy who had nothing but bad habits, but he was actually a bit of a food purist. He made me want to give up more of my lingering bad habits. I’d already given up cocaine because of the conversations we’d had.

Adam flashed me another perfect smile and said, “Thanks. I do prefer the organic Kona. Shade grown, toxin free. It’s better for you.” “Uh huh. I've heard the speeches a few times already, Adam. Toxins are bad; organic is good.”  I smiled at him though. I didn't mind his speeches even a little. I didn't mind anything about Adam. He was my ideal for what I wanted if I ever had a normal relationship: strong, smart, healthy, and sexy.

His was the kind of build that made women sigh and men pause. Adam looked intimidating even in his most gentle moods. He had the sheer size that often meant that he didn't need to raise a fist to stop a fight.  He had no fat anywhere on him.  Adam was all muscle, and his spa-perfect skin was liberally decorated with tattoos.  Even out in the desert sun, his art still looked crisp. The man knew how to take care of his body, and it showed.  He was a bit intense about his health. No drugs. No cigarettes. He lived on an organic diet.  He was also committed to meditation and a rigorous work-out schedule of boxing, weightlifting, and running.

Somehow, Adam managed to be bad-ass and supremely healthy all at once.  He drank a little, but his only true vice was indulging in naked relationships with far too many of the ink bunnies who loitered in his path.  Sex was Adam’s one big weakness.  It was easy to see why. Looking at him for longer than a minute was enough to make me consider taking a turn in his line of all-too-willing partners.

Unfortunately, Adam was also Tommy’s cousin, so Adam and I were firmly in the friend zone.  There were perks to being his friend, of course. We had conversations, lunches, shared a drink after work most weeks. Being the only girl in his life that was around for more than a night was the biggest perk. I knew that the rest of the girls were fleeting, but I was a part of his life—and it would stay that way as long as we didn't fall into bed.

I still looked. A lot. Whenever I had an excuse, like right now, I let my gaze roam where my hands and lips couldn’t.  I dreamed of him, and I fantasized about what life would be like if I wasn’t such a mess and he was willing to do commitments.

That was all it could be: dreams and fantasies.  As I tried to keep my thoughts from my expression, Adam repeated his regular question of late: “When are you coming by Sinners to finish the piece?”

I shrugged as I stacked clean mugs on the counter.  I

glanced around the shop at the two drunk girls who seemed to be having a heated conversation in a low voice, the customers studying or staring at their laptops, and my co-worker Cass who was staring at Dillon, the hot musician singing to the motley crowd.  There were no distractions to save me from the conversation.

It wasn’t that I didn't want to get my tattoo done, but I had my reasons for putting it off. “Not sure,” I muttered.

“I’ll be at The Tiger tonight if you want to look at your schedule with me,” he offered. I nodded, glancing again at one of the drunk girls who looked like she was going to spew at any minute.  Cass was glaring at the girls as if willpower alone would prevent vomit.

The only thing keeping her from getting rude was the way Dillon’s voice kept distracting her. He was like that: the voice of either an angel or a devil.

“I don’t know,” I told Adam, who was standing with his hands on the counter and his gaze on me.

The truth was that I wasn't sure I could handle seeing him tonight, especially at the local dive bar. He never picked up his fling of the moment in front of me anymore, but sometimes I thought that only made it harder to remind myself that he was off limits.  My eyes traced over the light gleam of sweat of his tattooed biceps and the way the torn black t-shirt clung to his chest and abs. Every inch of his body was so lick-ably gorgeous that it was hard not to sigh. Adam was built to be sighed over.

The shaved head, bright blue eyes, and sculpted muscles combined to make him damn near irresistible.  I had resisted though. Even though I was single again, I resisted. He was a friend when I’d been in desperate need of a shoulder, even bringing me soup when I was sick and alone one weekend.  Despite his revolving bedroom door, Adam was definitely one of the good guys.

That didn't mean he wasn't dangerous. I’d seen him throw down in more than a couple fights. Being a tattooist sometimes meant dealing with an unsavory crowd. Being Tommy’s cousin often meant dealing with a bad element. Adam handled the worst of them like an off-duty MMA fighter . . . which made him risky in a whole different way for me. I liked men who could handle themselves in a brawl.

Hell, I liked everything about him.

I quickly looked down at a burn mark on the counter before my staring was too obvious. I wished my hair wasn't all pulled back in a braid. It was harder to hide my face without my hair to use as a shield.  I wasn't going to ruin our friendship—or Adam’s relationship with Tommy—by thinking about Adam’s perfect mouth or his obscenely muscular body. Okay, I wasn’t going to ruin it by letting him know I thought about it. I couldn’t really stop thinking about him, not entirely. I’d tried.

“As soon as I can,” I said. “I promise. I want to get my tattoo finished. I just can’t right now.”

I didn't tell him why. I knew he thought it was about money, and I let him think that.  It wasn’t like I had much money to spare.  I would for this, but that wasn’t the real problem. The tattoo I’d started in January—a series of cherry blossoms and branches that spanned my right side and would eventually stretch under my right breast and ease along my hip—was something I’d wanted for years, but we’d reached the part of the piece that was on my chest, and I couldn’t handle being stretched out topless on Adam’s table while his beautiful hands held me in place.  It was difficult enough when he was working on my side and back.  The one session we’d had where he’d started the outline on my chest had sent me running out the door.

Friends. Friends was good. Friends meant

I couldn’t allow myself the tremors I felt when his eyes and hands were all about me.

A banging noise in the back drew my attention. I didn't even want to ask who was having sex in the bathroom again. I knew we were a bit of a dive, but really? Sex in the coffee shop bathroom? It was vulgar.

“We can work something out, Sasha,” Adam suggested, once more pulling my attention to him.

“Not right now.”

I loved the way he said my real name. No one else used it.  Everyone had started calling me Sugar since I took up with Tommy a couple years ago. He had introduced me as Sugar Sweet when I met people, and they mostly figured it was what I wanted to be called. So, Sugar became my name. It was even what I called myself.  Adam refused to use it. To him, and him alone, I was still Sasha.

He gave me a strange look that I couldn’t read. On someone else, I’d have said it was jealousy, but Adam and I weren't like that. We were friends.

“Are you back with Tommy?” he asked.

I shook my head.  My New Year’s Resolution this year

was to get my shit together.  Tommy wasn’t willing to do the same, so we split up. Most of the time we even stayed

split up.  Not all the time though. Staying clear of drugs was easier than staying away from Tommy.

“I’m not with anyone,” I told Adam. I met his eyes as I added, “I’m not back on the shit either. Five months.”

Adam nodded. “Just asking. I know it’s hard, and you, you've been doing great.”

He paused and gave me a proud look.

“You’re strong enough to do anything you want, Sash. Tommy’s good people, but you don’t need mixed up in the shit he sells.”

I caught Cass watching us then.  She was always quick

to suggest I should work out my issues with Tommy by overdosing on the lusciousness that was Adam.  She didn't

understand that I didn't want to throw Adam’s friendship away over a few days of sex, and even if I did want to, I couldn’t see Adam doing that to Tommy.

Seeing Cass made all of my arguments to her rise up in my mind.  It helped.

“I’ll call you soon. Promise,” I told Adam.

He paid for his coffee—black, no sugar or cream, nothing fancy other than the beans themselves—and then dropped a ten-dollar bill onto the counter.  Before he turned away he added, “You don’t have to avoid me because you’re too stubborn to let me do your art on credit, you know?”

“Sinners Ink doesn't accept credit,” I reminded him.

“The shop doesn't, but I would for you, Sasha.”

He looked at me with the same smoldering gaze that made all the ink bunnies drop to their knees if he gave them half a chance. “I don’t need credit.”

“The option’s on the table if you change your mind. If you aren't coming by for art, we can still grab a drink or whatever.”

“I’m sure you've been busy, and I don’t want to get in the way of your social life,” I said.

He was a great friend, and I didn't want to screw it up by hanging around all the time like I was one of the ink groupies or the girl who chases away all his hook-ups.

“You’re never in the way,” he said.

He shook his head, turned, and left. I watched him go,

wishing things were different. He was beautiful, sweet, and covered with the kind of tattoos that made clothing seem like a crime. For as long as I’d known him, he was also with a different girl every week, and he wouldn't poach Tommy’s territory even if I ever admitted that I wanted poached. There was no way anything could happen with Adam.

Not now. Not ever. Neither of us was looking for a relationship.  He screwed ink bunnies, and I still made latenight visits to Tommy more often than I should.  I just needed to keep some space while I got my head around the fact that he was off limits.

Our last few tattoo sessions had made that detail absurdly hard to remember. The man was gifted with his hands even when he was just doing his job.  It was embarrassing how close I’d come to whimpering simply by being tattooed by him.

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VERONICA DOUGLAS has a weakness for trying new things. 

Some of those have been rather unwise (going for a Harley ride in the rain while wearing nothing but a bikini and boots) and some have been much wiser (writing a book series with thirteen friends). 

But it’s all been a lot of fun.

PAYGE GALVIN has always wanted to be a writer.  

She also loves spending time with her friends, so after a few cosmos at the pool with her friends, the idea for UNFILTERED was born.  

Together the group wrote thirteen books about thirteen strangers who share a dark secret…and who all want to find love (because, really, who doesn't?).

 Veronica - Twitter | Payge – Twitter | Website  

Exclusive Cover Reveal: FROM GODS by Mary Ting [w/Giveaway]

“FROM GODS” is currently .99 cents on both Amazon and B&N.

Did you just see a flash of lightning across the sky on a clear sunny day? Don’t blame Mother Nature.

Skylar Rome should have been having the best summer ever, before heading off to college. Suddenly her whole life changes while visiting her cousin, and meeting the Grand brothers; Mason, in particular. Though she’s sure he is someone she should stay away from, the attraction was undeniable.

Strange things begin to happen, throwing Skylar’s life into turmoil. Implausibly, she gets caught up in a world where the descendants of ancient gods have super powers, and evil beings are after her. Not only are her discoveries difficult to accept, but now she is running out of time and running for her life, while trying to unravel the mystery of what they want from her.

Forced into a battle set into motion long before she was born, will Skylar find the answers she seeks, or will she die trying?

Praise for “FROM GODS”

"A fast paced adventure full of mystery, action, magic and romance! Readers won't be able to put this book down!" InD'tale Magazine

"A story that is Electrifying with love. Get ready to be shocked!" Janie, Crossangels

"From Gods takes mythology to a whole new level of imagination with its incredible plot and amazing characters. It's full of hotness that you never want to end!" Michele, Insane About Books

"From Gods by the AMAZING AUTHOR Mary Ting's OMGods good!! If you even LIKE Greek Mythology, set aside some time because you will DEVOUR Mary Ting's Demi Gods and Vultures!!!" Mindy, Books Complete Me

"This book is "electric" as it blends paranormal romance, mythology (which I love), action and suspense together for an amazing read. Mary Ting, you've done it again! This book exceeded my expectations and I was literally blown away as if I were struck by lightning!" Vanessa, Fairiechick's Fantasy Book Reader

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Mary Ting resides in Southern California with her husband and two children. She enjoys oil painting and making jewelry.

Writing her first novel, Crossroads Saga, happened by chance. It was a way to grieve the death of her beloved grandmother, and inspired by a dream she once had as a young girl.


When she started reading new adult novels, she fell in love with the genre. It was the reason she had to write one-Something Great.

Why the pen name, M Clarke? She tours with Magic Johnson Foundation to promote literacy and her children’s chapter book-No Bullies Allowed.

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