Showing posts with label excerpt reveal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label excerpt reveal. Show all posts

Friday, August 14, 2026

Excerpt Reveal: The Fall Affair by Vi Keeland

Title: The Fall Affair
Author: Vi Keeland
Genre: Standalone Contemporary Romance
Tropes: Opposites Attract/Found Family
Release Date: August 18, 2026

Take a sneak peek of THE FALL AFFAIR.
You know you want to...

Allegra: I think you’re pretty amazing. I’m going to bed smiling on the eve of what might turn out to be one of the worst days of my life. Thank you for coming here with me.

The reply came almost instantly.

Matteo: I think you’re pretty amazing, too. And I love your smile.

That made my already-big grin grow wider. Rather than text back, I decided to take a selfie of me beaming to show him I wasn’t kidding. I held my phone out, tilted it down for a good angle, and snapped a photo of me lying in bed. Only when I checked the picture, I realized the camera had caught a lot more than I’d intended. Yes, I was smiling, but I was also wearing a black slip nightgown, the top of which was lace and showed a lot of cleavage. I hadn’t been going for sexy, but damn, it was.

I bit my lip, debating whether I should take another. Then the wine, or maybe the adrenaline, pushed me. Screw it. Send.

My heart raced as I watched the status go from Delivered to Read. The dots on the screen started to bounce around, then stopped and started twice before an incoming text arrived.

Matteo: You’re gorgeous. And that photo just made its way into my private folder.

A shiver ran down my spine.

Allegra: And what exactly are the photos in your private folder used for?

Matteo: I think you know the answer to that.

My thighs pressed together thinking of Matteo pleasuring himself to my picture. I hadn’t intended this conversation to go this way, but now that it had…

Allegra: I think it’s only fair that I have a picture for my private folder, then.

This time a response didn’t come right away. After a minute or two, I thought maybe I’d taken things too far. But then my phone chimed, a photo lit up my screen, and my breath caught.

Oh. My. God.

Matteo was sprawled across his bed, sheet slung low on his hips. His muscular chest was bare, and his beautiful Italian skin was golden and smooth except for the sexy happy trail that led down to where it was covered. One arm was bent behind his head, showing off the cut of his biceps, and his gaze was on me, even through the photo. And God, the sinful smirk on his lips made it impossible to look away.

After a few minutes of staring, I swallowed.

Allegra: I’m speechless, and that’s saying something. LOL. Wow. Just wow. I’m not sure I’ll be able to sleep after seeing that. I’m a little riled up.

His near-instant response left no doubt that he’d been waiting for my text.

Matteo: For the record, my door is open if you ever want to come see it in person…
Vi Keeland is a #1 New York Times, #1 Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author. With millions of books sold, her titles are currently translated in twenty-seven languages and have appeared on bestseller lists in the US, Germany, Brazil, Bulgaria, Israel, and Hungary. Three of her short stories have been turned into films, and two of her books are currently optioned for movies. She resides in New York with her husband and their three children where she is living out her own happily ever after with the boy she met at age six.

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Friday, March 27, 2026

Excerpt Reveal: Crooked by Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward

Title: Crooked
Authors: Vi Keeland & Penelope Ward
Genre: Standalone Contemporary Romance
Release Date: March 29, 2026


Take a sneak peek at CROOKED.
You know you want to...

Copyright © 2025 by Penelope Ward and Vi Keeland

“Sorry for making up that story,” he said. “But I didn’t know what else to tell him. Wasn’t like I could admit the real reason I’m here looking out for you.”
I crossed my arms. “Maybe you should’ve, and he could’ve carted you away, so I don’t have to deal with any of this.”
“Now, now. Is that how you talk to your loving boyfriend?” He winked.
“Please don’t repeat that.” Especially in that annoyingly seductive voice.
“Well, you don’t think at some point we’re gonna have to pretend to be something to each other? People are going to wonder who the hell I am. How else are you going to explain me, if I’m not your boyfriend?”
“I’m hoping not to have to explain you at all because I’m counting on this arrangement ending soon.”
“Well, if you’d let me sleep inside like you should’ve, I wouldn’t have attracted the neighbor’s attention.”
“I will admit that making you sleep outside was a mistake, in hindsight.” I rubbed my pounding temples. “Do you want some coffee? I need to get a cup before my head explodes.”
He smiled wide. “I would love some.”
God, those dimples.
Had they been there yesterday?
Of course they had.
Again, I needed coffee.
After I filled two mugs, I handed him one. “As you just saw, my neighbor is very nosy. You need to keep a low profile. That means no hanging around outside my house unless absolutely necessary. She’ll try to talk to you.”
“I’ll be fine if she does. I’m a pretty good liar.”
“How commendable.”
He shrugged. “I don’t make a habit of it. But in this business, you have to be able to stretch the truth with a straight face.”
Putting my coffee down, I crossed my arms. “We have to set some ground rules.”
Wes grinned from behind his mug. “Okay…”
He’d better be taking this seriously. I took another long sip of coffee. “One, you have to sleep on the couch. I only have one bedroom. So…”
“All right. I was expecting that. No big deal. I’ve slept on worse things.”
“Not even gonna ask.” I sighed. “Also, no walking around without your clothes on.”
Wes raised a brow and laughed. “Why would I do that?”
“I don’t know. You seem like the type who might be comfortable enough in your skin to want to flaunt it or something. Just letting you know I won’t appreciate that.”
“No naked ass. Got it.” He nodded. “What else?”
“No eating anything in my refrigerator that belongs to me. I just went to Erewhon to stock up. Practically spent a week’s salary.” I opened the fridge and began moving my items to the right, leaving spots on the left of the top two shelves empty. “You can keep your stuff on this side.”
“How generous of you…” He grinned.
I tilted my head. “Are you mocking me?”
“No.” He pursed his lips, probably to keep from laughing.
I sighed. Maybe I did need to calm down. This situation was making me more high-strung than usual.
After a moment, he asked, “Are you done?”
“I’ll let you know if I think of anything else.”
“Look…” he said. “I don’t wanna be here any more than you want me here. So let’s just try to make the best of it.”
“We don’t need to make the best of it. We need to stay out of each other’s way and not make each other insane.” I downed the last of my cup of joe.
Wes’s expression dampened. Had I hurt his feelings? This situation stressed me out and made me less than pleasant. My father’s antics brought out the worst in me. I felt like I needed a time out.
On that note, I took my own advice and ventured back to my room to have my second cup of coffee in peace.
When I walked back out into the living room about fifteen minutes later, my jaw dropped. It was like I’d walked onto the set of Love Island. Wes was sitting on the couch with his feet up on the ottoman—shirtless, with every beautiful contour of his bronzed chest on full display.
What. The. Heck. I gulped. “What are you doing?”
He stood, looking confused. “What do you mean? I’m just sitting here.”
“You’ve only been here a matter of minutes, and you’ve already broken a rule.” I scoffed. “The most important one, I might add.”
He drew in his brows. “What rule?”
I glared. “Naked?”
He looked down at his chest. “I’m not naked.”
“You took your shirt off.”
“That’s shirtless. Not naked. You say naked, and I think…junk hanging out. This is not naked.”
I shook my head. “You need to wear a shirt in this house.”
He stalked toward me. “It’s hot as Hades in here. Does your air conditioner even work?”
“I don’t like it too cold. I freeze easily.”
“I guess that’s what happens to people who are already cold enough.”
As he stood there with his hands on his hips, I did feel oddly warm, actually. And it had nothing to do with the air-conditioner setting.
He smirked. A chill ran down my spine.
F*ck. Those dimples.
I’m going to kill my father for hiring this guy.


★★★ 

Excited? We are too!

RELEASING MARCH 29th!



AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU




WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT

BODYGUARD
CLOSE PROXIMITY
MAFIA DAUGHTER
FORBIDDEN


Vi Keeland is a #1 New York Times, #1 Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author. With millions of books sold, her titles are currently translated in twenty-seven languages and have appeared on bestseller lists in the US, Germany, Brazil, Bulgaria and Hungary. Three of her short stories have been turned into films by Passionflix, and two of her books are currently optioned for movies. She resides in New York with her husband and their three children where she is living out her own happily ever after with the boy she met at age six.
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Penelope Ward is a New York Times, USA Today and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author of contemporary romance.

She grew up in Boston with five older brothers and spent most of her twenties as a television news anchor. Penelope resides in Rhode Island with her husband, son, and beautiful daughter with autism.

With millions of books sold, she is a 21-time New York Times bestseller and the author of over thirty novels. Her books have been translated into over a dozen languages and can be found in bookstores around the world.

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Thursday, February 19, 2026

Excerpt Reveal: Taylor's Father by Penelope Ward



Title: Taylor's Father
Author: Penelope Ward
Genre: Standalone Contemporary Romance
Tropes: Age Gap (17 Years), Best Guy Friend's Father
Single Dad, Forbidden, Second Chance
Protective Hero, Sassy Heroine
Release Date: February 22, 2026


BLURB

From New York Times bestselling author Penelope Ward comes a new, STANDALONE contemporary romance…

When my best friend Taylor gifted me a vacation at a resort owned by his grandparents, the last thing I expected was to bond with a man seventeen years older.
Tate was also vacationing alone.
He’d come to Midnight Key to clear his head and reevaluate his life.
I’d come to get over my high school sweetheart who’d dumped me.
I’d spotted the brawny, tattooed Adonis in the lobby on the first day and thought he had to be someone’s hot dad.
But then we matched on an app that paired single men and women by proximity.
The problem was? At nineteen—almost twenty—I’d lied and said I was twenty-nine.
Tate outed me on our first date, and I fessed up to my real age.
But we continued to run into each other.
And eventually we found our connection was too magnetic to deny.
While we agreed to only use first names and to part ways at the end of the trip, I’d really fallen for Tate.
I never forgot him and knew he was the one who got away.
Remember that guy friend who gifted me the trip?
Well, four years later, Taylor got married.
He’d been estranged from his dad for years, though recently they’d reconnected.
What I didn’t know was that the man I’d had that torrid affair with at the resort would be standing next to Taylor in the receiving line.
My dream man Tate? Was Taylor’s father.



BOOKBUB





PRE-ORDER LINKS

$3.99 for a limited time!

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

Will be FREE to read in Kindle Unlimited


The current paperback pre-order is for the special-edition cover only. A model-cover paperback will be live on release day.



WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT

17-YEAR AGE GAP
BEST GUY FRIEND'S FATHER
SINGLE DAD
FORBIDDEN
SECOND CHANCE
PROTECTIVE HERO
SASSY HEROINE





EXCERPT

Copyright © 2025
By Penelope Ward

The next morning, I woke up happier than I’d been in a long time.
The prospect of seeing Tate again filled me with anticipation. It was a wonder I’d gotten any sleep.
His words from last night still replayed in my head over and over.
“A responsible person wouldn’t be struggling with whether to protect you or eat you.”
God, I hoped he ultimately chose the latter.
We hadn’t even exchanged phone numbers, so I was pleased to see a message come through the dating app from him.

Tate: I’m heading down to breakfast in a few. Care to join me?

Blair: Only if you order me four different kinds of beverages to choose from. BTW, it’s never too early for an espresso martini.

Tate: You’re about two years too early.

I laughed as I typed.

Blair: Very funny.

Tate: See you in a few?

Blair: Maybe…

Tate: Brat.

Blair: You like that about me.

Tate: You’re not wrong.

My mouth hurt from smiling.
When I got downstairs, I saw Tate before he saw me. He sat at a table with a huge pile of food spread before him. How did this man look even more hot today? He wore his baseball hat backward, which was absolutely my weakness. The way pieces of his hair poked out the sides? Scrumptious. Every look he’d rocked was sexier than the last.
I walked over to where he was sitting. “Hey, you.”
He gave me a once-over, and his eyes filled with something that seemed a hell of a lot like desire as he appraised the floral sundress I wore, the top of which was held up by two skimpy strings. My current look wasn’t as dramatic as last night’s, though. Today I had gone for fresh-faced and sassy.
“Well, hello.” He smiled. “How did you sleep?”
“Like a baby…”
“No comment.”
“You’d better not.” I took the seat across from him. “How did you sleep?”
“Best sleep I’ve had in a while, actually.”
“Must have been the company you kept the night before.”
“I did have an amazing time with you last night.” Tate smiled.
He seemed genuine, and I felt myself blush. “Likewise.” I gestured to the food. “Hungry much?”
There were eggs, bacon, a huge stack of pancakes, home fries, and fruit.
“All of this is for both of us. Have you seen that buffet line? I waited for like twenty minutes. Didn’t want you to have to do the same.”
“Well, I guess I win for being fashionably late. Thank you.” I grinned. “Between the variety of drinks the first time we met and this private buffet, I’m starting to think this is your thing—hoarding food.”
He gestured to the plates. “Eat up.”
How I wish I could.
For some reason, I wasn’t all that hungry—at least for food. But it was amusing to watch this big, strong man devour his breakfast.
“What are your plans today?” I asked as he munched.
“Depends on whether a certain girl wants to hang out with me.”
“I wasn’t gonna be presumptuous. You’re the one who’s been resistant.”
“Only to certain things and for your own good,” he clarified. “I’m not resistant to your company in the least. I quite like it.”
“So what’s another safe activity we can do so you don’t have to feel like a creeper?”
Tate stopped chewing for a moment. “I was thinking maybe we could go kayaking, if you’re up for it.”
My mouth curved into a smile. “I would love that, actually.”
In truth, I could take or leave kayaking. But any activity where I’d be in close proximity to Tate today was fine by me.
“Cool. I already booked it.”
“Now you’re the one being presumptuous.”
“Maybe, yeah.” He winked before stuffing a big piece of pancake into his mouth.
Never thought I could be jealous of a pancake, but here we were.
I reached my fork across the table and began eating off his plate. As I leaned forward, I accidentally rested my foot on top of his at one point. To my surprise, he didn’t move it away. The contact sent a rush of desire through me.
I popped a piece of pineapple into my mouth. “Do anything interesting when you got back to your room last night?”
“Not particularly.” He chewed.
“After what you said about contemplating eating me, I think you might be lying.”
He stopped mid-bite and shook his head. “Even if I did do what you’re implying, I wouldn’t admit it.”
“I’m pretty sure you just did.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Your face is red. You’re fidgeting. The signs are all there.”
I strategically selected a banana, holding it firmly in my hand as I slowly peeled it and took a big bite. Tate’s eyes remained fixed on me the entire time. “It was the only way I could sleep,” I added.
He nearly choked on his coffee.
“What you said riled me up,” I told him.
“Some things can remain private.” He glared. “You know?”
“So, you don’t want to know about my soothing Epsom salt foot soak?”
Tate reached across the table, grabbed my banana, and took a frustrated bite.






AUTHOR BIO


Penelope Ward is a New York Times, USA Today and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author of contemporary romance.

She grew up in Boston with five older brothers and spent most of her twenties as a television news anchor. Penelope resides in Rhode Island with her husband, son, and beautiful daughter with autism.

With millions of books sold, she is a 21-time New York Times bestseller and the author of over forty books. Her novels have been translated into over a dozen languages and can be found in bookstores around the world.


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OTHER BOOKS BY PENELOPE WARD


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Wednesday, December 17, 2025

Cover and Excerpt Reveal and Giveaway: King of Regret by Bianca Borell

KING OF REGRET
Kings of the Underworld #2
by Bianca Borell
Cover & Excerpt Reveal
Release Date: January 14, 2026
Genre: Dark Mafia Romance Standalone
Trope: Brother's best friend, forced proximity, grumpy/sunshine, touch her and d!e, forbidden love, jealous/possessive hero, she falls first/he falls harder, celibate hero, tortured heroine, unrequited love, secret relationship, emotional scars
She loved him first. He’ll fall for her last – and hardest.

In the shadows of the city he rules, Dahlia Ferrara has spent years in love with one man: Mikail Morozov. Her brother’s best friend. The underworld’s coldest king. The forbidden obsession she was never meant to touch.

He rejected her once.
Now she’s done waiting.

Dahlia offers Mikail ten days – no strings, no future, no promises. On day eleven, she walks away to build a life far beyond the brutality of their worldand the secrets that have scarred them both.

But being this close to her, is a crack in his armor he can’t afford.
Forced proximity ignites jealousy, desire, and a control he’s been breaking for years.
Because Mikail has a secret of his own –
he’s been celibate because no one has ever been her.

She’s sunshine in a violent world.
He's a king built from regret.
And their connection is one line that was never meant to be crossed.

Loving her is betrayal.
Keeping her is war.
But letting her go would destroy him.

A dark, intoxicating forbidden-love mafia romance featuring a jealous, possessive hero, a tortured heroine, forced proximity, unrequited turned devastating love, emotional scars, a celibate anti-hero, and a secret relationship that could get them both killed.
Add to your TBR List!
Closing the door behind me, I come to an abrupt halt when the door to my right opens, and he struts out. I blink. Surely, I am still dreaming. He’s not here. It finally happened. I’ve gone mad.

He takes me in with those cold silver eyes—lethal to my heart like bullets.

No dream, no fantasy can wreak havoc through my insides like his presence, so I can’t be imagining him.

“What are you doing here?” I ask breathlessly but with a bite.

He arches a brow, taking me in, his intense gaze boring into me. “Still mad at me, I see.”

I purse my lips to stop myself from saying it’s his fault and he could rectify it.

He cocks his head as he studies me, raking his eyes over me. They linger on the patch of skin I show. I wear a beige lace crop top and shorts that mold to my curves, and by the heated gaze, he approves by not approving.

“Like what you see?” I egg him on, the temperature rising just like the tension constantly sizzling between us. It’s a wonder I don’t combust.

The vein in his neck threatens to burst. “Watch it, Dahlia.”

I should heed the threat in his deep voice that ends with an edge attached to my name. But it only makes me burn hotter, makes me push him further until he finally cracks.

There’s no cure for my delusion.

I sway my hips as I approach him. Owning his attention is a heady feeling. I lick my lips. “Hmm, empty threats, and we both know it.”

His heated gaze causes tingles to dance on my lips.

“Yet you’re doing your best to piss me off. Did we wake up and decide to be difficult?”

Nostrils flaring, I get in his face, pushing at his chest as I look up at him. I don’t even reach his chin. Of course, the mountain of a man doesn’t even flinch. It’s like I am pounding on titanium, hoping to dent it. In vain.

He lowers his face and whispers in my ear. “Hurt me if it makes you feel better. I can and will take everything you dish out, but never fucking hurt yourself.”

His hot breath fans my sensitive skin, and I fist his shirt to support myself. Goosebumps spread, a fever I can’t contain, a fire ravaging my insides only he can tame.

Palming his muscular chest, the steady beat of his heart reminds me of my duty—of that sacred promise I made him.

A word is a word. He has kept his.

Whatever happens, we’ll always have each other.

Snapping out of my reverie, I ask, “What are you doing here?”

He rakes a hand through his hair, looking disheveled. “Your brother asked me to stay here until they return.”

I stumble back, the news making me trip on my feet, but he’s there to catch me.

“You can’t,” I whisper, the anguish clear in my voice.

I can’t be held accountable. We need distance, time apart, to pull off this farce we have kept going on for four years.

A muscle in his jaw twitches. “I have to.”

There is more behind his words—a secret message only I can decode.

As our eyes lock, time and space distort. It’s only him and me, connecting on a soul-deep level. Nothing else exists but us. I could spend eternity just like this, unbothered by cruel reality—he and I, and nothing else between us.

Just as he does every time, he breaks eye contact, severing the bond. “Do you have something else to tell me?”

“I’m not sorry for last night,” I say haughtily.

“You’re going to be the death of me,” he groans low, and my stomach flutters at his deep voice.

It takes everything in me not to smile. Instead, I pretend I didn’t hear him, loving to mess with him.

“What was that?” I ask playfully.

He pins me with an unamused gaze. “You’re a brat.”

“Sure.” I shrug. “But I am your brat.” The words rush out of me.

For a moment, everything stills. My heart thumping wildly in my chest is the only sound penetrating the silence. That’s why proximity is dangerous. I am prone to slipping if my brother is not around.
Amazon Universal ~ https://forewordpr.short.gy/KingofRegretWB2PL
One of Five eARC's for King of Regret
a Rafflecopter Giveaway
KING OF OBSESSION
Kings of the Underworld #1
Bianca Borell is a contemporary romance author, voracious reader, nature lover, and unapologetic daydreamer. She spends her nights deciding between getting up to write or trying to silence the voices of her characters. The battle is never-ending.

She has a weakness for tormented characters, second chances, and happy endings.

She currently lives in Germany with her amazing husband and indulges in way too many pastries than she should.
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Amazon Author Page: https://amzn.to/2HYMtZJ
Bookbub Author Page: https://bit.ly/3qhrm6b

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Thursday, December 11, 2025

Cover and Excerpt Reveal and Giveaway: Forget Nashville by Savannah Maris

FORGET NASHVILLE
by Savannah Maris
Cover & Excerpt Reveal
Release Date: January 8, 2026
Genre: Suspense Standalone
Tropes: Crime thriller, romantic elements
“Do you want to play a game?”

For the past year, late-night crime has plagued Nashville, Tennessee, and Detective Sean Chambers has worked on a slew of cases involving missing or dead strippers and prostitutes.

A new attack draws him back to The Crystal Palace – the site of a cold case from a year ago. This time, though, the victim didn’t vanish.

With his doggedness for solving crimes, Sean tries to unravel the mystery before him. But someone knows more about the crimes than he does. When a mechanically altered voice offers assistance, does he take it or refuse it?

Can Sean figure out the game before the rules change?
Add to your TBR List!
His phone rang and he glanced at the screen, not recognizing the number. “Chambers.”

“Detective Sean Chambers?”

“Yes. Who’s this?”

“It’s Jo. Jo Lindler, the bartender at The Crystal Palace.” Her voice was all but a whisper. “We met last night.”

“I remember.”

“You gave me your card and told me to call you if I remembered anything.”

“Have you?”

“Not until I got to work tonight. It was more what was missing.”

“Can you talk now?”

“I’m on my break, but I don’t feel comfortable discussing this here.”

“What time does your shift end?”

“We close at two during the week, so I’m outta here by three.”

“Where would be good for you?”

“There’s an all-night diner at the truck stop out toward the Davidson/Wilson County line. Do you know where I’m talking about?”

“Yes, I’ll meet you there at three-thirty.”

“See you then.”

The phone went dead.

Just before three-thirty in the morning, Chambers pulled into the diner off Highway 40 in his personal vehicle. As he walked inside, he tried his damnedest to remember what the bartender looked like as a vision drifted into his mind—petite, pink spiky hair, and maybe a hundred pounds soaking wet. He remembered towering over her by at least a foot. At his height, that wasn’t uncommon.

He glanced around the small diner accented in yellow and bright blue. Not seeing pink hair, he found an open booth at the back of the room where he could sit with his back against the wall and have a full view of the door in front of him. He’d just settled into his seat when the waitress walked up to the table. “Coffee?” she asked as she laid a menu and a set of flatware down.

“Please.” He glanced at the flatware. “I’m expecting someone.”

She placed another menu and a set of utensils across from him before turning to retrieve a mug and a pot of coffee. “Freshly brewed,” she said as she poured the hot liquid.

He was taking his first sip when a hooded person with pink hair sticking out of the edge approached him. She had on tight leather pants, and he wondered if she had on more than a bra under the hoodie. He recognized her immediately and sat up straighter. The woman glanced over her shoulder, then slid into the seat across from him.

“You made it,” she said.

“I always follow up on a potential lead.”

“I know this was a long drive for you, so thanks for meeting me here.”

“Coffee?” The female voice came from beside her.

Jo glanced at the woman. “Please, cream and sugar.”

The waitress retreated and Jo looked back at Sean. He leaned forward with his arms resting on the table. “You got information for me?”

She nodded, but before she could answer, the waitress set her coffee mug in front of her and filled it up.

“Are you eating or just drinking?”

Sean handed the waitress his menu. “French toast, side of bacon.”

Jo looked up to see Sean staring at her expectantly. “Same,” she said as she handed the menu to the woman taking their order.

As the waitress left, Sean sipped his coffee, waiting for Jo to start talking. She took another glance over her shoulder and leaned toward him.

With her voice low, Sean leaned back in and focused on the woman in front of him. “Last night was the first time there hadn’t been a white van parked in the last spot behind the club for the last week.”

“Beside the loading dock door?”

She shook her head. “There are a few patron spots—overflow—around back. You can’t see them from the road.” She took a napkin from the holder and pulled a pen from behind her ear. After drawing a rough sketch of the building and the parking lot, she showed him exactly where the van had been. “Seems kind of odd that it had been there for a week. Jasmine goes missing, and the van doesn’t show up.” She shrugged.

“What can you tell me about the van?”

“White, utility type, no windows, Virginia license plate.” She furrowed her brow and closed her eyes as if trying to see the tag in her mind’s eye. “There’s an H in the third position. I don’t know why that stands out to me, but it does.”

Sean scribbled notes on the small pad he pulled from his jacket pocket. “Anything else?”

“Not off the top of my head.”

He slipped the drawing into his notepad and put it back into his inside jacket pocket.

“Order up,” a voice said from not too far away.

Sean sat back while their plates were placed before them. Once they were alone, he said, “Do you know if there are any cameras that will show the area?”

“I’m not sure, but I can find out.”

“Did you see anyone in the van?”

She chuckled. “I’m sure they’re male, but actual faces, no.”

Sean took in every aspect of Jo, her face, her actions. He knew what he needed, and she could either help him or hurt him. He was counting on the former. Stuffing a bite of French toast into his mouth and taking a sip of his coffee, he decided it was now or never. “Um, Jo, would you consider being my eyes and ears in the club?”

Jo bit off a piece of bacon and stared at Sean. “Like an informant?” she asked as she chewed her food.

“Yeah.”

Jo fidgeted in her seat. “I don’t know. If anyone found out…”

“I’ll talk to the sheriff to see if there’s any money in the coffers to pay you.”

She cut her French toast. Taking a bite, she stared out the window. “What would I have to do?”

“Meet with me, tell me anything you see or hear that could link to Jasmine’s disappearance, or anyone else, for that matter. You know as well as I do that the strippers and prostitutes talk. Maybe there’s a connection between Jasmine and some of the other girls that have vanished.”

She turned back to face him. “Yeah, I can do that.”
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FORGET AUGUSTA
PURCHASE
I’m Savannah Maris, a southern girl and hopeless romantic. I’m passionate about writing stories that incorporate southern charm with a little spice.

I grew up on a farm in a small southern town with a love of sports, dance, and music which usually find their way into my books. My husband and I have two grown children. When I’m not writing, my husband and I are attending sporting events, traveling, or working.

What will find in my books? You’ll find suspense and romance in the Riverton Crossing Series. If contemporary romance is what you’re looking for, try Crossroads of the Heart.
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