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

Monday, November 20, 2023

COVER & BLURB REVEAL - Shockproof by Xavier Neal

 

 ✩๐Ÿ’™✩ COVER & BLURB REVEAL ✩๐Ÿ’™✩

Shockproof

The Shatter & Shock Duet #2

 Haworth Enterprises

By Xavier Neal

Goodreads: 

Cover Designer: Dana L @Designs by Dana

Release Date: November 30

Hosted by DS Book Promotions




AMAZON: Preorder

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๐‘ฎ๐’†๐’• ๐’•๐’‰๐’† ๐’‡๐’Š๐’“๐’”๐’• ๐’ƒ๐’๐’๐’Œ ๐’Š๐’ ๐’•๐’‰๐’† ๐’…๐’–๐’†๐’• ๐‘ญ*๐‘น*๐‘ฌ*๐‘ฌ ๐’‡๐’๐’“ ๐’๐’๐’† ๐’…๐’‚๐’š ๐’๐’๐’๐’š!!

Shatterproof #1 for F-R-E-E 11/20 only!

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Blurb:

From USA TODAY Bestselling author Xavier Neal comes the jaw-dropping, heart pounding conclusion to this best friends-to-lovers, forced proximity, romantic suspense duet!

The assignment is simple.

Don't let the client get kidnapped.

Don't let someone kill her.

Don't screw up our now very real relationship.

It's the last part that complicates what would otherwise be a fairly run of the mill operation.

If we weren't dating, the only thing I would have to worry about would be following standard procedures such as making sure her locations are secure.

That we aren't being followed.

That those in her inner circle haven't been compromised.


But because we are, I now have to deal with her sabotaging ex boyfriend.

And an unexpected female guest showing up on our double date.

And a meddling team member who thinks he's helping instead of simply giving me more headaches.

All of these things make my mission significantly harder.

As does trying to decide if we're moving too fast.

As does having to come in second to her career.

As does my best friend herself when she finally has to decide what our future together looks like.


To the company I work for, my main objective is to find and eliminate the unidentified threat that's been stalking one of their most valuable assets.

But to me?

My only job is to protect the love of my life - or die trying.






About Xavier Neal

Xavier Neal is a best-selling romance author who enjoys hopping from sub-genre to sub-genre like a game of Hopscotch she can't resist.

In between writing, she loves to read (everything from romance to self-improvement books), watch movies (old and new), eat too much Tex-Mex (her Chuy's t-shirt collection is out of control), and watch AHL hockey games LIVE (preferably against the glass whenever possible).

She currently resides happily in Texas with her bearded husband "Lumberjack”.

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Friday, September 1, 2023

Cover & Blurb Reveal for You Can Do Magic by R.L. Merrill.

 

You Can Do Magic CR Banner

Cover Reveal & Giveaway:
You Can Do Magic
By R.L. Merrill

You Can Do Magic Cover

Carnival of Mysteries Shared Universe

Summer of Hush, Book 3

From the author of Foreword Indies Finalist Summer of Hush and BookLife Prize Quarterfinalist Brains and Brawn comes a new installment in the series, a contemporary gay romance with a side of time travel and magic.

Musical prodigy Kallos Alexandrou has played his calliope for countless visitors at Errante Ame’s Carnival of Mysteries, but his one-year residency has come to an end. Scars from a terrible tragedy in his past are the only explanation he has for his loss of speech and memory, but it’s time to move on, so when a music festival sets up next to the carnival, Mr. Ame sends him off with identification, a bottomless billfold, and a set of new clothes. Outside the carnival’s perimeter, Kal finds himself in an unfamiliar world surrounded by strange instruments and vibrant people like nothing he’s ever seen.

Ryan Wells is the troubled and celebrated lead singer of the metal band Backdrop Silhouette. He’s brought more than his share of baggage on the last cross-country Warped Tour, including harsh restrictions placed on him by his parole officer and the band’s label, but it’s the treatment from his bandmates that have him feeling unsettled. After a tough morning, he spots a strange young man playing carnival music on a keyboard backstage, and the sound takes him back to a particularly vulnerable time in his youth. Intrigued, Ryan asks the young man’s name, but he flees only to appear later as a replacement stagehand for the tour.

An invitation from the band Hush to ride on their bus gives Ryan and Kal a welcome distraction. They find the camaraderie and support they’ve both been craving…as well as a little magic and a fresh new romance. But the music business makes personal relationships difficult to maintain, and when the tour ends, Ryan and Kal will have to make a choice: move forward together on an uncertain path, or let fear keep them from trusting that sometimes you really can have everything you desire.

You Can Do Magic is part of the multi-author Carnival of Mysteries Series. Each book stands alone, but each one includes at least one visit to Errante Ame’s Carnival of Mysteries, a magical, multiverse traveling show full of unusual acts, games, and rides. The Carnival changes to suit the world it’s on, so each visit is unique and special. This book contains a Depression-era calliaphone, a Ouija board with a purpose, and tour bus hijinks that will warm your heart and make you gigglesnort. Reading Summer of Hush and Brains and Brawn before this book will give you the full Warped Tour experience, but You Can Do Magic can be read as a standalone as well as the other books in the shared universe. Recommended 18+.

Pre-Order Universal Link

Check Out the other books in the Summer Hush Series on Goodreads!

Coming September 27th

IG Sized You Can Do Magic Coming Soon


Enter the Giveaway:

To celebrate the cover reveal of You Can Do Magic, we are giving 2 lucky winners the chance to win an advanced e-copy of the upcoming release!

Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway for your chance to win!

A Rafflecopter Giveaway

Direct Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/cc0f2a57753/?

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R.L. Merrill Pic

About the Author:

Whether she’s writing swoon-worthy contemporary romance featuring quirky, queer, and relatable characters or diving deep into the supernatural to give readers a shiver, R.L. Merrill loves creating compelling stories that will stay with readers long after closing the book. Ro writes inclusive romance for the Happily Ever After collective, contributes paranormal hilarity to Robyn Peterman’s Magic and Mayhem Universe, and pens horror-inspired tales and music reviews for HorrorAddicts.net. A mom, wife, daughter, and former educator, you can find her rocking out in her Bronco with Great Dane pup Velma, being terrorized by feline twins Dracula and Frankenstein, or headbanging at a rock show near her home in the San Francisco Bay Area! Stay Tuned for more…

Connect with R.L.:
https://www.rlmerrillauthor.com
https://www.facebook.com/rlmerrillauthor
https://www.instagram.com/rlmerrillauthor
https://www.twitter.com/rlmerrillauthor
https://www.facebook.com/groups/rosroadiesofromance


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Tuesday, August 1, 2023

Cover & Blurb Reveal for Like You Hate Me by Bethany Winters

 

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Cover & Blurb Reveal with a Giveaway:
Like You Hate Me
By Bethany Winters

Like You Hate Me - Ebook 2

Coming August 29th

I’ve never hated anyone as much as I hate him.

The day my sister died, I told her best friend I never wanted to see him again, and I meant it.

I lost her because of him. Everything I used to care about means nothing now because of him.

It’s all because of him.

So when he shows up on my driveway two years later and tells me he’s moving in with me for his freshman year of college, I kick his ass and tell him to disappear. For good this time.

But I already know the defiant little brat’s not gonna listen. He never does.

Being near him again makes me crazy. I’m supposed to be the college basketball star my father raised me to be, but now I’m focused on a new game. I’m obsessed with watching him, touching him, breaking him. His body, his head, his heart, anything I can get my hands on…

I’m gonna take it all until he’s got nothing left.

And even though he knows exactly what I’m doing to him, he’s gonna let me do it anyway.

Pre-Order Universal Link

Add to Goodreads

Like You Hate Me Coming Soon


Enter the Giveaway:

To celebrate the cover reveal of Like You Hate Me, we are giving away 2 advanced e-copies of the upcoming release!

Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway for your chance to win!

A Rafflecopter Giveaway

Direct Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/cc0f2a57735/?

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About the Author:

Bethany Winters is a Romance Author and is based in the UK.

Connect with Bethany:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bethanywintersauthor/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bethanywintersauthor
Facebook Profile: https://www.facebook.com/bethanywintersauthor
Join Bethany Winters' Book Baddies: https://bit.ly/320AK49
Website: https://bethanywinters.co.uk/
Newsletter: https://bethanywinters.co.uk/subscribe


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Friday, July 21, 2023

Cover & Blurb Reveal for Whiskey Business by Becca Jackson

 

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Cover Reveal & Giveaway:
Whiskey Business
By Becca Jackson

Whiskey Business Ebook

Coming August 9th

Love in No Man’s Land Series, Book 3

When Marcus suggests we make a bet and if I win I get his ex’s ticket on a four day cruise, I’m not sure he’s for real. He doesn’t like to gamble and he hates to lose even more than I do. Yet, the allure of sharing a room with him for four glorious days is too tempting to resist.

To my surprise, I win, and Marcus doesn't resist the outcome. It's almost like he actually wanted to lose. But that would be crazy, right?

Things take an even wilder turn when Marcus's mom mistakes me for his fiancรฉ, and neither of us corrects her. Now, his whole family believes we're engaged, and we're caught in a tangled mess of lies, with even his brother and our friends joining the charade.

Amidst the chaos, I have to admit that this plan might just be the best idea I've ever had. Well, except for our little rehearsal of a staged kiss, just in case we need to perform it in front of his family. That was the best idea ever, because with his hands on my waist and his mouth on mine I’m starting to think this fake relationship might be more real than either of us thought.

But when a past hookup threatens to expose everything, it forces Marcus to choose between revealing the truth or pretending I'm just like his former flame. 

Can our fake relationship survive reality, or will it crumble under the weight of secrets and revelations?

Pre-Order Universal Link

Add to Goodreads

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Enter the Giveaway:

To celebrate the cover reveal of Whiskey Business, we are giving away 2 advanced e-copies of the upcoming release!

Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway for your chance to win!

A Rafflecopter Giveaway

Direct Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/cc0f2a57731/?

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About the Author:

Becca Jackson is the author of mm romance stories that deliver heart, heat, and happily ever afters for some totally adorkable and fabulous guys.

Connect with Becca:

Instagram: https://geni.us/BeccaJacksonInsta
Tiktok: https://geni.us/BeccaJacksonTiktok
Facebook Profile: https://geni.us/BeccaJacksonFacebook
Facebook Group: https://geni.us/BeccaJacksonFBGroup
Website: https://geni.us/BeccaJacksonWeb
Reader Group/newsletter: https://geni.us/beccamail


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Thursday, April 2, 2020

Cover & Blurb Reveal Fight For Me by Corinne Michaels

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From New York Times Bestselling author Corinne Michaels comes a new emotional and riveting standalone second chance love story on May 19, 2020!
FightForMe_FullCover_Final copy.jpg
I fell in love with Sydney Hastings when I was ten years old.
At sixteen, we whispered promises of forever.
When I was twenty-two I broke them all. I left her and promised never to return.
After my father's death, I’m forced to go home to Sugarloaf for six months. She'll be everywhere, no longer just in my memories and regrets.
When we’re together, it’s as though time never stopped. She’s still the one I want, but I don’t deserve her. Instead of apologizing, I take that beautiful, broken woman in my arms. But after that, it’s her turn to leave me.
Now I have to fight. For her. For us. For the life we both want …
FightForMe_FrontCover_Final copy.jpg
Pre-order your copy today!
Amazon Worldwide: mybook.to/FightForMeCM
Google Play: http://bit.ly/3bR4YcI
Add to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2uYc6Dn
FFM - CR.jpg
Cover Designer: Sommer Stein from Perfect Pear
Photographer: Brian Kaminski
About Corinne:
Corinne Michaels is the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestseller author. She’s an emotional, witty, sarcastic, and fun-loving mom of two beautiful children. Corinne is happily married to the man of her dreams and is a former Navy wife.
After spending months away from her husband while he was deployed, reading and writing was her escape from the loneliness. She enjoys putting her characters through intense heartbreak and finding a way to heal them through their struggles. Her stories are chock full of emotion, humor, and unrelenting love.
Connect with Corinne:
Stay up to date with Corinne and sign up for her mailing list:
To sign up for monthly text alerts: Text CMBOOKS TO 77948
*US only due to carrier restrictions*

Friday, November 1, 2019

COVER/BLURB REVEAL: Model Behavior by M.E. Carter and Andrea Johnston.





M.E. Carter and Andrea Johnston are romance writers who share a love of the written word. Combining their sense of humor, beliefs in love, and sarcasm, this writing duo has joined forces to create the Charitable Endeavors series. With the sole purpose of bringing laughter and love to their readers while tapping into their charitable hearts, a portion of the release proceeds will be donated to charity.






Model Behavior is the third book in the Charitable Endeavors Series by M.E. Carter and Andrea Johnston. Each story is somehow related to the indie book community and is guaranteed to be a contemporary romantic comedy and fade to gray (no gratuitous sexy times when we're donating to charity) PLUS a portion of each book’s release will be DONATED to charity!

Title: Model Behavior 
Genre: Contemporary Romantic Comedy, Single Dad
Release date: 12/12/19
Charity: Wildlife Center of Texas  - https://wildlifecenteroftexas.org/

Add it to Goodreads:  http://bit.ly/ModelBehavior_GR

#PREORDER NOW AVAILABLE!

As you all know, with the Charitable Endeavors series we have committed to releasing each book with a significant portion of the release month proceeds being donated to charity. With the release of Model Behavior we have designated a portion of proceeds to Wildlife Center of Texas. Carrie, our heroine, and our lovely co-author are huge advocates for wildlife rescue. Both of which have been known to carry around baby squirrels in their sports bra! The Wildlife Center of Texas (a non-profit organization) was formed to meet the increasing need for wildlife assistance in the Greater Houston/Upper Gulf Coast.  The Wildlife Center receives over 9,000 injured, ill and orphaned wild animals each year and is one of the largest wildlife care centers in the United States. Their mission is to care for injured, ill and orphaned wildlife through rehabilitation, public education and release.   



BLURB:

He thinks he’s so perfect with his model behavior . . . and he just might be.

Reading and reviewing books is my hobby. Rescuing wildlife is my passion. It never occurred to
me that both my hobby and passion would collide in the strangest of ways one day.

I was perfectly content in my quiet little world. Working, reading, and supporting my favorite
authors left little time for dating or a relationship. Besides, when you take the horizontal
mambo off the table, you sort of limit your prospects.

Then one night, Matthew Roberts in all his cover model glory blew into my life and swept me
off my feet.

~

Life as a single dad is not for the weak. Especially when your daughter is a spunky six-year-old
with a passion for singing and a weakness for baby animals. I’ve been strictly focused on being
her dad and smiling for the camera to provide for her future. Having my abs splashed on the
cover of romance novels hasn’t left much time for a personal life. Much to my mother’s dismay.

When a storm dropped—literally—a wild animal into my life, I knew there was one person who
could help us—Carrie Myers. I just never expected her to save not only the small squirrel but to
also find her way into my heart.

Sometimes the most unlikely person can be your greatest gift.




Wednesday, August 14, 2019

Cover and Blurb Reveal: FOREVER MY SAINT by Monica James




FOREVER MY SAINT
Volume Three
Monica James

All hope was lost until Zoey Hennessy walked back into my world, shaking it up beyond repair when she uttered two simple words.
He’s alive.
She speaks of her brother, my Saint, the man who lost everything to set me free.
I believed he was dead. I saw it with my own two eyes. But when Zoey proves he’s alive and being held captive by a monster, I know what I have to do.
It’s time I saved him.
The plan is dangerous, and there are no guarantees I will survive. But if this nightmare has taught me one thing, it’s that I don’t cower in fear. I am a woman hell-bent on getting back the man she loves, and nothing, no one will stand in my way.
However, what I uncover can only be described as hell on earth. The darkness has finally won, and Saint is lost to me forever.
Or so I thought.
Aleksei Popov is anything but a hero, yet in this story—he’s mine. Everything I believed in is about to be turned upside down, and with freedom within my grasp, I wonder how far I will go, and who I will sacrifice in order to set myself free.






Release date: September 19th
Series: All The Pretty Things Trilogy, Volume Three
Genre: Dark Romance
Cover Designer: Sommer Stein— Perfect Pear Creative Covers
Pre-Order Now:
Kindle: https://tinyurl.com/y68tw49y
Kobo: https://tinyurl.com/y6s93qzv
iBooks: https://tinyurl.com/yxdlhqcx

UK
Kindle: https://tinyurl.com/y2l93rp2
Australia
Kindle: https://tinyurl.com/y2jd7c5v
Canada
Kindle: https://tinyurl.com/y4ts89du

Goodreads: https://tinyurl.com/y25tcssh


 #FOREVERMYSAINT 







Bio
Monica James spent her youth devouring the works of Anne Rice, William Shakespeare, and Emily Dickinson.
When she is not writing, Monica is busy running her own business, but she always finds a balance between the two. She enjoys writing honest, heartfelt, and turbulent stories, hoping to leave an imprint on her readers. She draws her inspiration from life.
She is a bestselling author in the U.S.A., Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Israel, and the U.K.
Monica James resides in Melbourne, Australia, with her wonderful family, and menagerie of animals. She is slightly obsessed with cats, chucks, and lip gloss, and secretly wishes she was a ninja on the weekends.
Stalk Me!
Website: http://monicajamesbooks.blogspot.com.au
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2EWZSyS
Reader Group: http://bit.ly/2nUaRyi


Monday, April 15, 2019

COVER + BLURB REVEAL: The NewlyFEDS, by Logan Chance

The NewlyFEDS
By Logan Chance
Release Date: May 9th
Cover by: Kari March, Kari March Designs
Add to your TBR: https://tinyurl.com/y4tbagkn


BLURB:
How deep undercover will these two go to catch the bad guy? Pose as a newly married couple. How hard can it be?

Special Agent Vin Mills has everything he’s ever wanted. Sweet job. Rock hard abs. An ass you can bounce a coin off of. And a money laundering mob boss who’s about to go down.
The only thing standing in his way is fresh off the desk bombshell in heels, Special Agent Addison Buckley. She’s just destined to screw everything up.

Addison Buckley has one thing she wants—a promotion. The only thing standing in her way is egotistical and tattooed hottie, Vin Mills. The department wants them to pose as newlyweds and blend with the residents in one of the most prestigious and nosy neighborhoods in Colorado. A few touches, a few kisses, no problem.
Saying and doing are two different things, and this is one game of espionage these two rivals never bargained for.
Will these NewlyFEDS be able to catch the bad guys, or get caught under cover first?

About Logan Chance

Logan Chance is a USA Today and Top 20 Amazon Bestselling Author with a quick wit and penchant for the simple things in life: Star Wars, music, and smart girls who love to read. He was nominated best debut author for the Goodreads Choice Awards in 2016. His works can be classified as Dramedies (Drama+Comedies), featuring a ton of laughs and many swoon worthy, heartfelt moments.

Never miss an update, sign up for Logan's List: www.beardedgoatbooks.com/newsletter

Don't be shy, follow Logan on all platforms:

Bookbub:
Amazon Author Page:


Bloggers sign up for the release blitz+review: Blogger Release Blitz: http://tinyurl.com/y274swkk



Wednesday, April 3, 2019

Cover and Blurb reveal: Bad Saint by Monica James





BAD SAINT

Volume One

Monica James

I was kidnapped on my honeymoon by three masked men.
Blindfolded.
Bound.
Destination unknown.
I was told to stay silent and abide by their rules. But they didn’t realize I wasn’t a victim…not anymore.
The open sea was my backdrop for nine torturous days. During that time, glimmers of my fate were revealed by a man with the mysterious chartreuse-colored eyes. He should have scared me, but he didn’t.
He intrigued me. And I intrigued him.
He punished me when I didn’t listen, which was every single day. But beneath his cruelty, I sensed he was guarding a grave secret.
I was sold.
And in a game of poker, no less.
My buyer? A Russian mobster who likes to collect pretty things. Now that I know the truth, I only have one choice.
Sink or swim.
And when one fateful night presents me the opportunity, I take it. I just never anticipated my actions would leave me shipwrecked with my kidnapper.
He needs me alive. I want him dead.
But as days turn into weeks, one thing becomes clear—I should hate him…but I don’t.
My name is Willow.
His name is Saint.
Ironic, isn’t it? He bears a name that denotes nothing but holiness yet delivers nothing but hell. However, if this is hell on earth…God, save my soul. 





Release date: May 6th 2019
Series: All The Pretty Things Trilogy, Volume One  
Genre: Dark Romance
Cover Designer: Sommer Stein— Perfect Pear Creative Covers

Pre-Order Links
Kindle: https://tinyurl.com/yxe58q3p
Nook: https://tinyurl.com/y4app8va
Kobo: https://tinyurl.com/y58j4j5l
iBooks: https://tinyurl.com/y3feoblp
Goodreads: https://bit.ly/2TyDsWT

UK
Kindle: https://tinyurl.com/y6rjcost

Australia
Kindle: https://tinyurl.com/y4nuggl3

Canada
Kindle: https://tinyurl.com/y2b7du7b

  
Bio
Monica James spent her youth devouring the works of Anne Rice, William Shakespeare, and Emily Dickinson.
When she is not writing, Monica is busy running her own business, but she always finds a balance between the two. She enjoys writing honest, heartfelt, and turbulent stories, hoping to leave an imprint on her readers. She draws her inspiration from life.
She is a bestselling author in the U.S.A., Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Israel, and the U.K.
Monica James resides in Melbourne, Australia, with her wonderful family, and menagerie of animals. She is slightly obsessed with cats, chucks, and lip gloss, and secretly wishes she was a ninja on the weekends.
Stalk Me!
Website: http://monicajamesbooks.blogspot.com.au
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2EWZSyS
Reader Group: http://bit.ly/2nUaRyi








Excerpt:
The pillowcase and gag are certain to kill me soon, and if not, my racing heart will give out in next to no time. Arms link through mine from behind and help me stand. I know it’s the American. His fragrance gives him away. I stand wearily, but I will stagger to my death before anyone carries me.
“Ten steps,” the American whispers from behind me. I flinch at his muffled voice through the pillowcase. He stands at my back, ensuring I don’t fall. I could mistake his actions for him giving half a shit, but it’s clear that wherever I’m going, they need me alive. If not, they would have killed me already.
This isn’t a robbery. It’s a kidnapping.
Once I shakily descend the ten steps, my feet hit the sand, and in any other circumstance, I could appreciate the softness between my toes. But when I’m pushed and shoved as the American no longer seems to be near, all I can appreciate is that I’m not dead—well, not yet anyway.
Through the pillowcase, I can hear the gentle lapping of the ocean against the shore, but it’s none the wiser that three criminals are about to use it to aid in changing my world forever. When my feet tread water, I jolt with the sudden fear that they’re going to drown me. But that doesn’t make any sense.
If I’m going to survive this, I have to keep my head clear.
“Boat. In,” says someone, maybe Russian two or one. They all sound the same.
I’m yanked up—someone pulling on my floppy arms while the other lifts my legs—and I feel like a chew toy being ripped into two. Once I’m dragged onto the boat, I’m directed on where to go as someone shoves me in the back, screaming at me in a language I don’t understand.
I’m then forced down some stairs where I lose my footing and fall flat onto my stomach. Grunting on impact, I instantly search around, hoping to distinguish where I am—I’m in the bottom of the boat. The galley.
“Stay,” someone commands, ensuring I be the good dog they clearly see me as being.
Fuck them.
I rise slowly, using my hands as eyes as I feel my way around blindly. I need to find a weapon. One small enough to hide. Blood is seeping into my eyes from the wound on my temple, so I close them because I can’t see through this thick pillowcase anyway.
My fingers come into contact with what feels like a small torch. Not the weapon I had in mind, but it’ll have to do.
I’m interrupted when I hear someone tsk me before I’m being dragged by my long hair and hurled against what feels like a cushioned bench seat. The pain in my head just amplifies. “Arms behind. Hands together.”
I shakily comply, sobbing around the gag.
He reaches around me, and when the unmistakable feel of metal snaps around my wrists, I know my freedom is dwindling by the second. He yanks at the handcuffs to ensure they are tight. They are.
My breathless panting reveals my fear, but when I feel the predatory touch at the back of my calves, I freeze. Two hands glide up and down my flesh, humming in satisfaction. He’s on his knees before me.
Oh, god.
“You pretty.” His English is broken, but I’m not lost in translation. I know what he wants.
 “We going to have fun, and it’ll be our secret.” Next, I feel a wet tongue lap its way up the side of my calf. The smell of cigarettes and sweat has my stomach roiling.
Adrenaline takes over, and I attempt to kick him, but he’s too fast, chuckling as he pushes down on my ankles. He then begins to bound them with coarse rope.
Once he tugs at my restraints, it sounds like he stands. I try to kick my feet out, but they’re tied to something hard beneath me. I’m bound. Hands and feet. And gagged. I’m not going anywhere.
“She tied up?” I almost sigh in relief when I hear the American. He was the only one who showed me an iota of mercy. The other two scare me. The American doesn’t.
“Yes, like a present. You want to unwrap her?”
I suddenly feel so objectified and dirty and attempt to recoil, but I can’t move. My heart is racing, and my breathing is uneven. The tears have long dried as I’m awaiting their next move.
“Shut the fuck up and let’s go.”
That was not the response I was expecting. The Russian laughs.
“Calm down, ะฝะตัƒะดะฐั‡ะฝะธะบ.”
“Fuck you. Up on deck now.” The American talks big and seems to be calling the shots. I wonder who he is?
My only clue to what’s going on is what I hear, and before the hatch closes, I’m presented with clue number one. “Be in Turkey soon. I hope you don’t get seasick, Saint.” Then the hatch closes, leaving me with the sound of the muted voices above me.
Turkey? Why are we going there? But more importantly, I just uncovered the name of my American captor…Saint.
Ironic, isn’t it, that someone who bears a name denoting nothing but holiness can deliver nothing but hell.
Bon voyage.