"Black Box"

Black Box

A stand-alone novel about a girl, a boy, and fate.

♥️ Three fateful encounters....
♥️ Two heart-breaking tragedies....
♥️ One last chance to get it right.

From New York Times best selling author Cassia Leo, comes an epic love story about rewriting destiny.

Over the course of five years, Mikki and Crush cross paths on two separate occasions. Their first encounter changes Mikki’s life forever, but their second meeting leaves them both buried beneath the emotional wreckage of a violent attack. Mikki is left with more questions and grief than she can handle, while Crush is forced to forget the girl who saved his life.

Now nineteen years old, Mikki Gladstone has decided she’s tired of the mind-numbing meds. She books a flight to Los Angeles to end her life far away from her loving, though often distant, family.

Twenty-one-year-old Crush has always channeled his blackest thoughts into his music, but he’s never had great aspirations. He decides to fly to Los Angeles to record a demo of the only song he’s never performed in public; a song he wrote for a girl he doesn’t even know: Black Box. He has no expectations of fame and he’s never felt like his life had any purpose… until he meets Mikki in Terminal B.

When Mikki and Crush cross paths for the third time in Terminal B, neither has any idea who the other person is; until they slowly piece together their history and realize that fate has more in store for them than just another love story.

BLACK BOX ON GOODREADS

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18232133-black-box

Chapter 8

Crush

(Excerpt)

Staring into Mikki’s green eyes, I swear I’m looking into my own. She’s hiding something from me that I haven’t quite figured out yet, but I’m positive it has to do with her trip to L.A. There has to be a reason someone as skittish as her decided to have coffee with me rather than go home when her flight was canceled. And there’s definitely a reason greater than curiosity for the question she just asked me.

If it weren’t her asking, this would be the point in our conversation where I begin to suspect her of being an undercover cop or journalist. But it is Mikki. And something about this girl tells me she’s not here to find out what happened in a dark parking lot three years ago.

“That’s a trick question,” I reply. “If I tell you I’ve never killed anyone, then you’ll think I’m a good guy and you’ll stay, because even though it’s not a very exciting answer, it means you’re safe. But if I tell you I’ve killed someone, you may find it intriguing or frightening. Either way, intrigued or scared, you’ll probably try to get the fuck away from me, and I don’t think I’m ready for that.”

She smiles as she looks down at her fingers, which she’s tapping on the surface of the bar. “That’s a real suave way to dodge the question. It also sounds like something a murderer would say.”

“Really?”

She looks up and meets my gaze again. “Who did you kill?”

I pause for a moment as I try to figure out where she’s going with this conversation. Then it hits me. “Do you want to die?”

“What?” she asks, shaking her head far too adamantly. “That’s … that’s a stupid question.”

“Why is it a stupid question?”

“Because,” she snaps at me. “It’s just stupid. I don’t want to die.”

She continues to look down at her hands, which are still trembling as she fidgets with her silver thumb-ring. I get an urge to grab her hand again, to stop the trembling and fidgeting, but I don’t.

“I’m sorry. I guess that was kind of a stupid question. I was just wondering why a pretty girl like you would hang out with me when you could be at home in your warm bed with your pjs on. Or out with your friends … or your boyfriend.”

She finally chuckles. “So, accusing me of wanting to die is your way of avoiding my question or is it just a really messed-up way of asking me if I have a boyfriend?”

“It’s just me being a total dick. And … do you have a boyfriend?”

“No.” She looks up and fixes me with a steely glare. “Most guys don’t appreciate a girl who’s crazy and also doesn’t put out.” I’m not quite sure how to respond to this statement. It’s probably best to change the subject or reach for a joke. “Yeah, I know how you feel. Most girls don’t appreciate a guy who can cite Shakespeare and won’t put out. Actually, I think that’s a line from Macbeth.”

Her glare melts into a reluctant smile. “You’re not a total dick.”
“Still not putting out.” 

BLACK BOX PURCHASE LINKS

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1fWDlsF

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1dNmKMC

iTunes US: http://bit.ly/blackboxitunes

iTunes UK: http://bit.ly/1ffAjpG

Kobo US/CA: http://bit.ly/blackboxkobo

AUTHOR BIO

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Cassia Leo grew up in California and has lived in three different countries. She loves to travel and her dream is to one day score a record deal based on her awesome shower singing skills. She is the author of the Shattered Hearts series (Relentless, Pieces of You, Bring Me Home, Abandon) and the Luke and Chase series.

Website: http://cassialeo.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/authorcassialeo

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/AuthorCassiaLeo

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Mikki is a sad soul when we first meet her. Crush is a big, handsome man who feels drawn to Mikki. As things progress Crush realizes he knows Mikki- he knows the pain she has gone through. Mikki can not figure out why she is so trusting of a stranger. When they figure out whom each other is, Crush does not have much time to try and change Mikki's mind about taking her own life. He will not stop her, but he hopes he can give her something to hang on to.  It is a heart wrenching, beautiful journey of fate and what it truly means to them. Fabulous ending.

Quote:

"You taste like a storm."



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"Shredded"

In this intense and exhilarating New Adult series debut, a hotshot snowboarder and a vulnerable rebel with a cause try to let go of the past—and find a future in each other.

Twenty-one-year-old professional snowboarder Z Michaels is the bad boy of Park City, Utah. He’s always had his pick of any girl in town—and on the competition circuit. But underneath his cool exterior is a young man in turmoil, trying to take the edge off tragedy by overindulging in sex and shredding the slopes. In fact, Z’s reckless behavior is a thinly veiled attempt to blunt his emotional suffering with physical pain.

Ophelia Richardson isn’t like any girl Z has ever met. Though she’s from New Orleans high society, she’s no Southern belle—and she’s not shy about being miserable in frozen, godforsaken Park City. But laying low is her only option after her ex, a rich boy who couldn’t take no for an answer, nearly killed her in a jealous rage. Following that terrifying encounter, the last thing Ophelia needs is a boyfriend—especially one as rich and arrogant as Z. But Ophelia soon discovers that he isn’t what he seems. If anything, Z may be even more damaged than she is.

Tormented by their pasts and feeling alone in the world, Z and Ophelia find a connection unlike any they’ve ever known. But with Ophelia hiding the details of her life in Louisiana and Z’s death wish reaching terrifying new heights, their relationship seems to be going downhill before it even begins—unless they can find the strength in each other to trust, grow, and love again.

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Z is the smoking hot, panty dropping, amazing snowboarder of Park City. Ophelia is a beautiful girl running from her painful past. Z is use to getting any girl he wants and he has his eyes set on Ophelia. Ophelia know's Z's kind - adrenaline junkie-, and she wants no part of him no matter how he makes her heart flutter. Honestly these two were so far apart I was not sure how they were ever going to get together. They both end up crossing paths and things start rolling after that. Their walls start coming down and love emerges. Some hot sex- nothing detailed or raunchy. Good ending.

Book #2 "Shattered" -Ash's story- is due out April 22nd.

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"Undone"

Companion to "Unbreakable" -- Landon's story

**This book is a Contemporary Romance and contains mature subject matter.It is not intended for those under 17 years of age.**

I’ve found it’s easier to share my body but not my soul. I need no one, yet I crave her.

Self-assured and independent, she doesn’t need me—but she wants me, and undeniably I want her too. At war with myself as I battle the secrets of my past, I don’t know if I can allow her to see the darkest parts of me, the parts I’ve left untouched—undone.

As she chips away at the walls I’ve built for years, I fear those secrets will hold me hostage from love—forever.

Excerpt 3:

“I’m going to ask you again, can I have your number, Reagan?” She

swallows hard and I notice her eyes shift from my eyes to my lips several

times. She shakes her head slowly, and retreats back by a small step.

“Why?” I whisper.

“I don’t give my number out at work,” she stutters.

“You’re not working right now,” I point out, taking a step forward and

closing the distance between us once again.

“I’m still at work.” She smiles.

“Technicalities.”

She laughs lightly at my response. Her eyes drop and she kicks at the

loose gravel on the blacktop. “Look, I’m just really private. I don’t just hand

my number out to people I don’t know, okay?”

“Then go out with me. Get to know me. You can give me your number

after you’re comfortable with me,” I compromise.

Letting out a deep sigh, she looks back at me. “You don’t take no for an

answer, do you?”

“Nope.”

“I don’t have a lot of free time—I work really odd hours, and help out

here,” she motions towards Mac’s with her arm, “when I can.”

“Tomorrow morning, then. Meet me for breakfast at the Beachside Café on

Franklin at eleven.”

She thinks about it while working her bottom lip between her teeth. I see

her trying to fight the small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth when

she finally agrees.

“Fine. I’ll meet you for breakfast at eleven at the Beachside Café.”

“It’s a date,” I say, backing away from her slowly.

“It’s breakfast,” she corrects me.

“It’s a date over breakfast.”

“Technicalities,” she says, smirking and shaking her head as she walks

backward towards her car.

Bio

Rebecca Shea is the USA Today Bestselling author of Unbreakable. She lives in Phoenix, Arizona with her family and her beagle, Miles. From the time Rebecca could read she has had a passion for books. Rebecca spends her days working full-time and her nights writing, bringing stories to life. Born and raised in Minnesota, Rebecca moved to Arizona in 1999 to escape the bitter winters. When not working or writing, she can be found on the sidelines of her sons football games, or watching her daughter at ballet class. Rebecca is fueled by insane amounts of coffee, margaritas, Laffy Taffy (except the banana ones), and happily ever afters.

Social Media Links

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/rebeccasheaauthor

Twitter https://twitter.com/beccasheaauthor

Website http://www.rebeccasheaauthor.com/#

Goodreads Author Link https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6878970.Rebecca_Shea

Goodreads book link https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17852231-undone

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As soon as Landon lays eye's on Reagan she stirs something in he that he isn't familiar with. Reagan is busy no only running from her painful past but with her career and helping everyone she can. When Landon makes his move on Reagan he gets a run for his money. Things start off slow with these two but you can feel the sexual tension radiating from the pages. Reagan lays her past and heart on the line but Landon can't do the same fro her. When shit hits the fan tragedy strikes and these two have to fight for each other but they just might not have any fight left. A few hot, steamy sex scenes. Fabulous Ending.

Barnes and Noble: http://bit.ly/1jZP0eQ

iTunes: http://bit.ly/1cdAviD

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1jZP7Hg

"Avoiding Amy Jackson"

Avoiding Amy Jackson (Infamous Series)

Meet Amy Jackson. An outspoken, raunchy, in-your-face, loudly inappropriate ER Nurse who makes a career out of indulging. 

One-night stands have always been her thing. 

Commitment and relationships are two words that are not in her vocabulary. 

Amy doesn't have dreams of soul mates and white picket fences. She adamantly refuses to even consider the idea of getting married and starting a family. She’s also obstinate in allowing a certain physician to get on her good side…

James Williams. A cocky, smug, too-damn-good-looking orthopedic surgeon who has his sights set on the very feisty Amy Jackson. He is more than intrigued and ready to do whatever it takes…

Excerpt:

I raise both of my hands up in the air. “All right, I’m out of here before you two start going at it in front of us.” I head for the door and stride into the hallway. I make it halfway to my room before strong arms pull my body back into a masculine, warm chest. The scent of James clings to my nostrils, and I can’t help the shaky breath that escapes my throat.

Peppermint and cedar and clean laundry.

“So that’s how it is? You’re just going to leave me with those two?” James whispers into my ear. Pieces of my dark locks blow away from my face.

“You got it, and I’m finding a hell of a lot of enjoyment out of it, too.” I close my eyes and fight the urge to turn into his embrace and kiss the daylights out of him.

James runs his fingers up and down my arms, creating a path of chill bumps. “It’s been two months. How long are you going to hold that night against me?”

I swallow against the dryness in my mouth, trying to gain some semblance of a hold on the sexual frustration that’s coursing through my veins. “Forever.”

James laughs into my hair and rubs his nose back and forth against my neck. “You can keep making these weak threats, but I’m just going to tell you one thing. They aren’t scaring me into giving up. I’ll keep trying, doll. I’ll keep trying until you can’t resist me and my persistent charm”

Persistent charm? Pffft.

I step away from his embrace and turn to face him, his green eyes filled with heat, intensity, and an overpowering amount of raw, sexual pull. I take a much-needed breath. I need to force air into my lungs and gain at least an iota of defiance and pride. “I never make weak threats, Dr. Limp Dick.”

“Dr. Limp Dick?” The jerk smiles at me—fucking smiles at me—and it feels like a slap across the face. The nickname has zero effect on him. It doesn’t put a dent in that ego-filled suit he seems to don with an impressive amount of confidence.

“Yes, Dr. Limp Dick. I think that name suits you well. Extremely well. Don’t you agree?”

“The fact that you even took the time to come up with that tells me one thing…” He pauses, obviously waiting for my stubborn pride to chime in.

“What exactly does it tell you?” I spat out, my irritation rising to new heights.

“That you’ve been thinking about me. A lot. Don’t worry, baby. I’ve been thinking about you too.” He leans in close, too close, and it feels like all of the oxygen has been sucked out of the room.

Anger courses through my bloodstream, my heart pounds loudly in my chest. Thump. Thump. Thump. My pulse sounds magnified inside of my ears. How can one man find a way to make me so infuriated? I hear a loud smack echo in the hallway and realize that my fury has now pushed me over the edge. I just smacked James clear across the face; a faint red handprint remains on his cheek. He lifts his hand and lightly rubs his jaw before grinning back at me.

“Beautiful and feisty. Now I’m really never going to give up,” he adds, completely unaffected.

“You’re such an asshole!” I shriek back at him before turning on my heels, stomping towards my bedroom, and slamming my door shut. I lean up against the wall and sigh loudly in frustration, my fists clenched tightly to my sides. What a prick! I mean, who in the hell does he think he is?! My breath is fast and hard, and my chest heaves up and down violently. I see my reflection in the mirror across from my door and can’t ignore the prominent outline of my nipples visible through my shirt.

God dammit!

Author Bio:

N.A. Alcorn is a wife, mother, labor and delivery nurse, writer, and blogger. She lives in Cincinnati with her husband and three-year-old son, Sid. In her spare time she enjoys reading, writing, running, and having inappropriate conversations with her blog besties. She also has a serious addiction to music and her all-time favorite band is Incubus. Her ability to eat an ungodly amount of Reese’s Cups in a fifteen minute time frame would quite literally blow your mind.

Links:

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18620442-the-infamous-ellen-james

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/naalcorn

Author Site: http://www.naalcorn.wordpress.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/NAAlcorn

LLL&R Blog: http://livelovelaughandread.com/

LLL&R FB: http://www.facebook.com/livelovelaughandread

Email: livelovelaughandread@yahoo.com

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I loved Amy Jackson in "The Infamous Ellen James" and to get up close and personal with her made me love her even more. Amy has no filter and the things that cross her mind are just outrageous! When the extremely hot doctor Williams turns her down, she verbally whips him every time they cross paths. James has decided that he wants Amy in any way he can have her even if it is just as friends. This very long, hilarious friendship between these two is tortuous, knowing that they both want each other. At some point,  one of they has to make a move just hopefully their friendship can survive. 

Some hot, juicy, raunchy sex scenes. You will find yourself laughing out loud so be warned!

If you read "The Infamous Ellen James" you will get to read how Ellen & Trent's relationship has progressed. 

Quotes:

"For a drunk woman, she's ridiculously quick."

"Momma's planning a party and she needs some salami to go with her cream cheese!"

"I'm not supposed to be hard right now. Stop being hard! Get un-hard!"

"She's stealthy like a ninja-a little drunk ninja."

"Amy was like a teeny, tiny drunken version of the Incredible Hulk. When she didn't get the D, she got very, very angry."

"Nothing makes a vagina happier than sex, porn, and lots of masturbation."

"And the fact that James and his limp dick were too good for my cock-pocket puts him at the top of my shit list."

"My nipples are acting like shameful sluts."

"She's been living with me for several months now, and I've grown to love her despite the fact that I have the constant urge to masturbate on her face while she sleeps."

"James is like taking Ecstasy while on your period. He's like watching the hottest porn gif you can find while opening a bankruptcy statement. He makes me hornier than a cougar at a high school graduation and madder than a women who just found out her boyfriend gave her Chlamydia."

"That's enough, nipples. You don't have to salute the soldier."

"Orgasms are awesome, so get to rubbing, bitches." -Amy

"They're basically pushing their heterosexual boundaries to new heights right her on my pink taco."

"Someone should make Popsicles and Candy that smell and taste like James, because seriously, he's absolute perfection."

The Infamous Ellen James (Infamous Series)

"Masked Innocence"

The man was sinful. It wasn't just the looks that made him dangerous, it was the cocky confidence that dominated every move, every touch. And the frustrating yet ecstatic fact about the whole package was that he could back it all up… 

Julia Campbell never knows what to expect with win-at-all-costs Brad De Luca. And she's starting to like it that way. She gave up safe, conventional relationships when she let the elite divorce attorney seduce her into his world. Now that he's determined to strip her naked of every inhibition, she's in danger of falling too deep and too fast. 

But their affair begins to feel even more dangerous when a murder leaves a trail of suspicion that points straight to the mob…and Brad. Trusting a man with a bad reputation and a past full of secrets seems like a mistake. But when she's forced to make a choice, the consequences will take her further than she could ever have imagined.

***************

Julia is young, feisty & beautiful. Brad is big, strong, handsome older man. These two are an unlikely couple, and on the surface they are just in it for the good time. You feel Julia start to fall in love with Brad, but Brad does not show signs of Julia being much more than his latest fling. I was flustered and pissed at Brad early on in the book. As their story unfolds Brad gets caught off guard with his feelings for Julia. It is a beautiful thing to see a man like Brad fall to his knees for a women. Things get crazy when a body turns up, and Julia's life is in danger. Brad will stop at nothing to make sure she safe. A lot of hot, kinky, raunchy, juicy sex- grab a fan ladies!

Fabulous ending.

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"Perfectly Broken"

Even after years of trauma therapy, Peyton still believes she’s broken. She has little desire to date or show off her natural beauty, content simply to hang out with her best friends and run her pie shop in New Orleans. But her world turns upside-down when a handsome architect and self-confessed player shows up in her shop and thinks she’s perfect, much more than the usual hook-up. While Peyton does her best to resist his charms, believing she could never be enough for him, she can’t deny the obvious heat between them. With Reed determined to have her, Peyton must decide whether to continue to hide behind her apron and baggy clothes or take a chance and share her scars with Reed, a man with a playboy reputation and scars of his own -- a dark past he can’t possibly share with Peyton, not after learning the horrors she’s endured. But if they can find a way to trust each other, and themselves, they just might be able to heal, to save each other, to live perfectly broken together.

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Peyton has been going through the motions of life not really able to get over what was done to her. When Reed walks into her pie shop there's an instant draw and when they touch the sparks are flying. Peyton's body is now waking up but will she let Reed get her to a fully conscious state?. Reed is determined if nothing else. He wants Peyton, in his bed of course, but it is more than that. Reed has never felt like this about a women in his life, and he is not quite sure what to do. Peyton gives Reed a run for his money that is for sure. It is a rough road for these two, but Peyton finally opens up to Reed. Reed has secrets of his own, but he is not sure if he can tell Peyton. Things explode, and hearts are broken. Now they need to find a way back to each other. Some hot sex scenes. Fabulous, Fantastic Ending.