Why should I provide my email address?

Start saving money today with our FREE daily newsletter packed with the best FREE and bargain Kindle book deals. We will never share your email address!
Sign Up Now!

Now a major motion picture, Stephen King’s brilliant and terrifying story of a marriage with truly deadly secrets: A Good Marriage By Stephen King

This deal found exclusively on BookGorilla. Join our thousands of happy subscribers and never pay full price on eBooks again. It’s FREE and EASY at BookGorilla.com.

A Good Marriage

by Stephen King

A Good Marriage

New Release Today!
Darcy Anderson’s husband is away on one of his routine business trips when she goes looking for batteries in the garage. Her toe knocks up against a hidden box under a worktable and in it she discovers a trove of horrific evidence that her husband is two men—one, the benign father of her children, the other, a raging rapist and murderer.

Today’s Bargain Price: $4.99

Get it now


More Premium Bestsellers at The Lowest Prices on BookGorilla!

button_subscribe

★★★★★

Join our thousands of happy subscribers. It’s FREE!

Get Deep Discounts on Premium Bestsellers, Plus Free Books for Your Kindle! – Subscribe now http://www.bookgorilla.com/kcc

BookGorilla-logo-small(1)

Now 83% off the regular price!
5-Star Mystery – Jackpot (A High-Stakes Mystery Book 1) by John A. Chartier, Just 99 cents!

Jackpot (A High-Stakes Mystery Book 1)
5.0 stars – 5 Reviews
Kindle Price: 99 cents
(reduced from $5.99 for a limited time only)
Text-to-Speech and Lending: Enabled
Here’s the set-up:

Christie Towne is a casino host who is busy trying to organize the resort’s largest event of the year, a $1 million slot tournament. As Christie and the rest of her misfit team begin to prepare for the event, they grapple with the hilarity and quirks of the gaming industry and the people it attracts. She gets more drama than she ever expects, though, when one of her players and a butler are discovered murdered in a heavily-secured villa – with no one seen entering or exiting on video surveillance. With $1 million, two lives, and the future of the casino on the line, she is thrust into action to try and figure out who is behind the grisly crime. What Christie could never anticipate is the danger lurking in the shadows along the edge of the casino floor…

5-star praise for JACKPOT:

“Gripping and engaging…a great plot..”

“Enthralling read from start to finish…”

About the author

John Chartier is a management consultant, currently pursuing his MBA at Harvard Business School in Boston, Massachusetts. A frequent contributor in Boston-area publications, Jackpot: A High-Stakes Mystery, is his first novel.

(This is a sponsored post.)

The dreaded low battery… charge your Kindle on the go with a car charger!

Whether you are on the run or waiting for your child to finish their after-school activities, a car charger for your Kindle is a must-have. Like a phone charger, Kindle can be charged in the car with any of the following accessories:

4.2 stars – 92 Reviews

Kindle Price: $19.95

  • High output Rapid Charging adapter fits cigarette lighters in both foreign and domestic vehicles
  • 12 – 24 VDC; 1000 mA high output current for faster charging; full lifetime warranty
  • Advanced internal circuitry prevents device from power surges; overcharging and short-circuiting
  • Lifetime Warranty on Gomadic Brand products
  • Charging adapter works with both foreign and domestic car lighter ports

 

AmazonBasics 2-Port USB Car Charger with 2.1 Amp Total Output (Black)AmazonBasics 2-Port USB Car Charger with 2.1 Amp Total Output (Black)

3.9 stars – 713 Reviews
  • Charge 2 USB powered devices simultaneously
  • 2 devices simultaneously charging will each receive approximately 1.0 apms
  • LED charging indicator light

 

Belkin MiXiT Car Charger + Micro USB Cable for Amazon Fire Phone, all Kindle and Kindle Fire Models, 4 Feet (Black)Belkin MiXiT Car Charger + Micro USB Cable for Amazon Fire Phone, all Kindle and Kindle Fire Models, 4 Feet (Black

4.6 stars – 173 Reviews
  • 4 Foot Micro-USB to USB Cable + 2.1 AMP / 10 Watt Car Charger
  • Ultra-compact charger with universal USB 2.0 port
  • Charger can be used with any USB 2.0 cable
  • Use Micro-USB cable to sync music and pictures in seconds

★★★★★

Join our thousands of happy subscribers. It’s FREE!

Get Deep Discounts on Premium Bestsellers, Plus Free Books for Your Kindle! – Subscribe now http://www.bookgorilla.com/kcc

BookGorilla-logo-small(1)

Free for a limited time! A romantic romp with a dose of realism and a twist of mystery: Hello, My Love! by E Journey

Last week we announced that E Journey’s Hello, My Love! is our Romance of the Week and the sponsor of thousands of great bargains in the Romance category: over 200 free titles, over 600 quality 99-centers, and thousands more that you can read for free through the Kindle Lending Library if you have Amazon Prime!

Now we’re back to offer our weekly free Romance excerpt, and if you aren’t among those who have downloaded Hello, My Love!, you’re in for a real treat:

Hello, My Love!  (aka: A Modern Love Story) (Between Two Worlds Book 1)
4.3 stars – 21 Reviews
Text-to-Speech and Lending: Enabled
Here’s the set-up:

Heartache and the specter of revenge follow when sparring partners spend the night together two days before he weds someone else.

Bright, blonde, beautiful Elise Halverson, focused on a law career and inexperienced in love, distrusts playboys like Greg Thorpe. Dark, good-looking, internet-business owner in the San Francisco Bay Area, he finds Elise intriguing, so unlike his fiancée Lori, the type of dark-haired, seductive beauty he escorted around.

Elise and Greg butt heads at her parents’ dinner parties. She discovers someone more than a flashy playboy, and he finds that she touches him at his core like nobody else has. A strong attraction grows between them and leads to an unexpected night together two days before his wedding.

Lori threatens revenge. Her machinations tear Greg and Elise apart, revealing doubts and insecurities they have within themselves and forcing them to make choices.

They reunite but Greg is in for a surprise and their lives are thrown again into disarray when Elise becomes the victim of a hit-and-run. The specter of Lori’s revenge looms.

This modern-day pastiche of Jane Austen and Elizabeth Gaskell novels is an engaging romp into deep powerful love, with a good dose of realism and a twist of mystery.

*  *  *

Free and Bargain Quality eBooks delivered straight to your email everyday – Subscribe now http://www.bookgorilla.com/kcc

button_subscribe

*  *  *

  And here, for your reading pleasure, is our free romance excerpt:

  1. Elise

“Going to your parents’ dinner tonight?” Elise could not help smiling at the text message.

She texted back: “Yes.  See you.”

Greg had been sending her text messages for some time.  Often, they were greetings, in the morning, at night, on school holidays; or good luck wishes on exams, debates, and mock trials.  Sometimes, he asked her opinion or a question about a legal matter or some fact of interest to either of them.  She answered most of those messages although he told her she did not need to, if they were the usual greetings.

Before they met, Elise had known Greg—from numerous news reports—as the young, progressive owner of a growing internet-based business, and one of the country’s 25 most eligible bachelors.  The consensus in the media, especially among women reporters: tall, dark, and handsome.  But Greg also had a reputation as a playboy, whose many romances were fodder for gossip columns.  While Elise hesitated judging looks and personality, sight unseen, she was certain of one thing. She distrusted the likes of men such as Greg.

But that was a year ago.  Since he began consulting with her father, Dr. Halverson, an economics professor, Greg had been to many dinners at her parents’ home.  There, Elise got to know him better.

Now, when curious acquaintances learned she knew Greg, they invariably asked, and Elise hardly ever varied her answer.  “Yes, to news reports.  Greg Thorpe is tall—taller than my father who’s more than six feet.  Dark—tan skin, bushy hair the color of French roast coffee woven here and there with golden strands.  And beautiful—clean-cut, cleft chin, smiling greyish blue eyes, and, yeah, lean but, I think, muscular.  I’m not sure.  I haven’t seen him without his clothes on.”

It always amused her that her incantation never failed to elicit sighs from young women.

Elise was about to slip her iPhone into her shirt pocket when it rang.

“Hello, Elise.  How’s the light of my life this afternoon?”  Greg said, in his teasing voice.

“Hello Greg!”

“I’m so glad you picked up.  I was afraid you’d turn off your phone again.”

“I can’t turn it on in class, when I’m studying, or when I’m at work, and that’s almost my whole day.”

“Are you staying over at your parents after dinner?”

“I don’t plan such things.  Depends.  How late it is when dinner ends, whether I have some easy way to get back to my apartment, how guilty I feel about not having seen my parents for a while, etc., etc.”

“I see.  It’s Friday so I thought you‘re staying the night with them.  Can I give you a ride home?”

Elise protested.  “But I live across the bay.  That’s 60 more miles of driving for you, both ways.”

“Less than an hour in my fast powerful car.”  Greg had a wry, sometimes self-mocking, sense of humor.

“But don’t you need your beauty sleep?  Aren’t you getting married in two days?  I’m surprised you’re even coming to my parents’ dinner party.  I always thought weddings were exhausting and you need to rest up for yours.”

“Think of this as my last fling.”

“Isn’t that when your buddies get you all soused and cavorting with some pretty young things?  You definitely need stamina for that.”

He groaned.  “I’m afraid you have this unflattering image of me.  But believe it or not, that prospect doesn’t excite me.  I feel too old for all that.”

“Thirty-two’s not old.  To me, old is decrepit.  You’re not quite there yet.”

“I’m glad you think so.  Twenty-year olds think 30 is old”

“I turned 23 a few weeks ago.”

“That still makes you a young thing in my book.  What if I cavort with you?”

Elise scowled and could not conjure up a quick retort which she knew Greg had come to expect from her.  It was not that what he said irritated her.  And, she did not even dislike it.  But she squirmed, from a vague sense of unease.

“I’m kidding.  I know you’re not the cavorting type.  But we’re buddies, right?  Well, more like sparring partners, maybe.  Don’t buddies kid around?”  His voice had taken on an edge to it.

“Am I wrong?”  His voice was softer.

She hesitated and the ensuing silence was relieved only by his accelerated breathing.  He was going to wait until she said something.

She pursed her lips.  “I guess we are … friends, or whatever you wanna call it.  That makes everything all right, then; kidding included.  So, yes, you can take me home tonight.  What’s 60 miles between buddies?  No guilt, on my part, that you’re going out of your way.  I gotta run.”  She hung up and did not wait for his reply.

*****

Elise arrived at her parents’ home when guests were taking their last bites of the appetizer.  She had entered the house with her own keys and had gone straight to the dining room.

For a moment, she stood, nymphlike, blonde hair flowing down her shoulders, golden glints accentuated by short-sleeved, dark purple turtleneck sweater, paired with a figure-hugging long black pencil skirt, slit on one side to below mid-thigh.  Teetering on unaccustomed three-inch high black espadrilles, she needed to pause and steady herself.

She uttered a general greeting, but out of habit, her gaze sought that of Greg’s.  He lifted an eyebrow as he smiled at her, his eyes glowing.  She held her breath and let it out slowly, pushing down to the pit of her stomach that knot she first felt when her father introduced them to each other.  She stretched her lips to mimic a smile and approached her mother from behind her chair.

“Elise, finally.  We were wondering if you’d make it here tonight.”  Mrs. Halverson offered a cheek for her daughter’s kiss.

“We had a small crisis at the Legal Aid office,” she replied, bending towards one cheek and then the other.

Her mother whispered, “Greg has asked me about you at least twice already.”

Elise stole a glance at Greg as she sat down at her usual place across from him.

In addition to Greg, two other couples—mutual friends of her parents from her father’s college days—completed the eight places around the dinner table.  They were regular visitors and could talk nonstop all night.  Elise relaxed.  The evening should be relatively calm and cozy.  She was a little tired and she intended to sit among the group, as quiet as she could be.

Except, she glanced, rather too often, at Greg whose ardent gaze seemed glued on her throughout dinner.  Still, neither of them needed to say much, and for that, she was grateful.

When the party went to the living room for after-dinner coffee, Greg approached her from behind and came so close that she could feel his chest against her back.

“Good evening, beautiful.  I was afraid you’d skip this dinner.  Glad you lost the hair clip.  Love the sexy hairstyle.”  His voice barely rose above a whisper.

Elise turned her head towards him and coaxed a smile from her lips.  She did not answer.

In the living room, she settled into an armchair.  Greg pulled a chair closer to hers and sat on it.

“You look tired,” he said, peering into her face.

“Yes.  I am.  It’s been a very hectic week.  I’m glad it’s Friday.  But I wish Mom stuck to her usual Saturday schedule.  I’m not very good company this evening.”

“Your dad said they’re going to a birthday party for the dean of his college tomorrow night.”

“Ahh.”

“Let’s be quiet together.  I don’t think this group needs our help.”

Elise nodded.  How sweet he could be sometimes.

The lively conversation of the Halversons’ friends centered on the best places to retire and how to make retirement hop, and not drag.  Much laughter punctuated outrageous suggestions.  The older folks were having their usual fun.

After a quarter of an hour, listless from both food and wine, Elise suppressed a yawn.  She glanced at her watch, fidgeted in her chair, and wished herself back in her apartment, warm and snug in bed.

The most garrulous of the group, Dr. Gronski, craned his neck, apparently distracted by her fidgeting. He stared at her and smiled, but shifted his attention to Greg.

He said, “Here’s one lucky man.  He doesn’t have to worry about retirement homes, can retire right now, and do whatever he wants.”

Elise watched, from the corner of her eyes, as everyone turned towards Greg and stared.  He returned the stare for some moments and, with a thoughtful frown, answered, “True, I could go anywhere I want, but I don’t know if I’ll ever want to retire.”

“I should have guessed—a workaholic.  But you’re a bachelor, so no commitment and no one to nag you.”  Dr. Gronski chuckled, winking at his wife.

“Not for very long.  He’s getting married on Sunday,” Dr. Halverson chimed in.

The two couples perked up.

“Oh!  Who to?  Why didn’t you bring her here tonight?” said Dr. Gronski’s wife, stealing a glance at Elise.

“She had prior engagement.”  Greg frowned.

Elise saw the muscles on Greg’s cheek twitch.  He was clenching his jaw, clearly ill at ease.  She clicked her leather espadrilles once and rose.  As she had intended, everyone looked up at her and watched as she walked towards the piano, in a far corner from where everyone sat.

“How about some entertainment?”  She raised the front lid on the piano.  “Mom, can you play us that piece you’ve been practicing?”

Her mother walked briskly towards Elise.  “Yes, I would love to.  And I hope you like this Mozart fantasy as much as I do.  I know my daughter does.”

She smiled at Elise, sat down, paused for a few seconds, and opened with the slow, dramatic notes of a piece that lasted more than twelve minutes.

When the two couples left, Dr. Halverson said, “I’m sorry about my friends, Greg.  For the most part, they’re nice people.”

His wife added, “With an annoying love of gossip.”

“Yes, except for that.  I shouldn’t have mentioned your wedding.”

Elise said, casting Greg a surreptitious glance, “But it’s true, he’s getting married.  They’ll find out about it, anyway.  Papers will splash the news all over their society pages, for sure.  Dad, I’m surprised your friends haven’t seen anything about it already.”

She arched an eyebrow at Greg, her eyes glittering with amusement.  “Come to think of it, I haven’t, either.”

Greg scowled at her.  “Well, maybe they don’t read the social columns, or the tabloids where it’s mentioned, ad nauseum.  We didn’t issue any formal announcements.  She wanted to, but I refused.  I want a quiet ceremony.”

Elise scowled back and smiled, lips lifted at one corner, teasing.  “But, I agree, they had no business asking why she—what’s her name?  I don’t remember ever hearing you mention it.  Anyway, it’s none of their business why she isn’t here tonight.”

“We know her name,” her mother said.  “We met her at Greg’s house when we were last there for a party.  Perfect hostess.”

“Stunning woman,” her father added.  “She reminded me of Ava Gardner.”

“Yes.”  Her mother smirked and Elise knew her parents did not agree on Greg’s fiancée.

“Will someone tell me what her name is?”

“Lori.  Lori Williams,” Greg said.  “She’s a public relations consultant at a company I do business with.”

“Lovely name.  Less formidable than Ava.  She’s now taken form in my head.”  Elise glanced at her watch.  “I must go, too.”

Greg rose.  “I’ll give you a ride home.”

“But that’s out of your way,” her father said.  “You can drop her off at the train station.  She does it all the time.”

Mrs. Halverson placed a hand on her husband’s arm.  “Let them decide what to do.”

*****

Neither Greg nor Elise had spoken since they left her parents’ home.  He seemed, to her, reluctant to disturb the silence between them.  She, in contrast, felt impatient about it.

“I hope you don’t mind my asking—you know, one buddy to another—why you’ve never brought Lori to dinner at my parents’.  Doesn’t she resent you, spending so many of your Fridays or Saturdays with them?”

“Remember, your dad and I have business consultations before dinner.  I know Lori.  She’d be bored to death.  I don’t want your mother to feel she has to entertain her while I’m holed up with your dad.”

“So, she’s never curious or suspicious?”

“Actually, no.  Can we stop talking about Lori?  This is my last fling, remember?  I’d like it to be nice and cozy, in the company of someone familiar.”

Elise frowned and compressed her lips.  “Sorry, can’t be your sister.  You know my two brothers.  You’ll have to agree that’s enough aggravation right there.”

“Huh?  Who said anything about a sister?”

“‘Familiar,’ ‘family,’ same root, right?”

“Sounds like it.  Yes; and maybe that’s what I had in mind.  Anyway, I meant someone I feel at ease with.  Someone I can spar with but who doesn’t take it personally.  At the end of the day, we’re still friends.”

“I guess so.  Something like that.  By Monday, things have to change.  When you’re married, we can’t be on the same footing, anymore.”

Greg did not answer and kept his attention on his driving.  Elise stared into the darkness outside her window and recognized a few buildings on the way to her apartment.  They were only ten minutes away from it.  She bit her lips and blinked a few times.  Was this really it between them?  Would he ever come to her parents’ dinners again?

“I’d like to show you where I live.  May I—on my last night as a free man?  You’ve never been to my house and I’m betting it’ll change what you think of me.”  His voice intruded into her thoughts.

“Why should that matter?”  Her voice was hardly audible.

“Well, if we’re going to be strangers again like a year ago, I’d like you to remember me.  As I am, in my true element.”

“And that’s your house?”

“Why not?  Don’t we all create our surroundings to suit who we are?  I’m sure Lori will want another house.  Or, she’ll renovate what I have now.  So, if you ever visit us there, it won’t show you the real me anymore.”  Greg turned briefly towards her, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

Elise forced a smile, but it faded before she turned her face away.  She said, “Are you playing with me?”

“No, I am perfectly serious.  And if you’re still not sure, can I tempt you with champagne?  I’ve got some good stuff at home.  I’ll offer you the best I have.”

She did not answer.  She was irritated and she did not know why.

“Okay, that’s not working.  Can I ask, as your buddy?  I’m honestly nervous about getting married and I’d like to have a comfortable, relaxing evening.  I can only do that around a true and familiar friend.  Like you.  I have friends, but someone like you, whose chatter I can stand and I actually think means something—rare.”

She laughed softly, and regarded him a couple of minutes.  A true friend?  For his last free evening.  He was losing his freedom, and she was losing a friend.

“Why not?”

He grinned, slowed down, and turned the car around.

*****

Greg’s house was on top of a hill, overlooking the bay and a cluster of cities, their lights like strings of fluttering jewels in the late spring night.  San Francisco lay in the distance towards the ocean.  The neighborhood, as Elise expected, had large security-controlled homes, many of them Mediterranean-style mansion wannabes of stucco and red tile roofs.  As Greg drove through a long driveway to his house, she gritted her teeth.  Why did she let him persuade her to come to this place?  She had no desire to go into one of those homes, much less spend an evening in one of them.

But, she did want to spend some time with him, the way it had been between them lately.

Elise surveyed the house in the dark when Greg stopped to wait for the garage door to open.  She relaxed a little.  The house was different from those around it, its size modest, in comparison; its lines uncomplicated.  She stuck her head out the car window and looked closer.  Not stucco, but wood panels and something grey and smooth.  Metal, she guessed.

“I hope you don’t mind that I’m taking you into the house through the garage.  We’ll have to go through the kitchen,” he said, as they got out of the car.

“Like at my parents’ house.”

But the interior was not like her parents’ house, where the hub was a large country kitchen of sunny yellow, accented with green, red, and blue, that spilled into a sitting area dominated by a much-used butcher block often used as a breakfast table.  Her parents’ house was all about nurturing and casual comfort.

In Greg’s house, the spare exterior lines continued inside. Its kitchen—small, compared to her mother’s—was equipped with sleek stainless steel appliances and glass cabinets with steel framing.  As they passed through the kitchen, Elise rubbed the surface of a countertop with her fingers.

“This is concrete.”

“Yes, and so is the floor except it’s been stained black.”

“Really?  Looked like slate to me.”  Her gaze swept across the kitchen.  “Glass, steel, and concrete.  Hard and solid.”

The kitchen opened into one enormous room divided into two areas by a wide space between them.  A long heavy wooden dining table for twelve defined one area, supported by a mix of wooden dining chairs and a massive wooden cupboard that stood against a wall.  All had the patina of at least a century of use.

Elise walked to the opposite side of the room and sat on a long light taupe-colored boxy sofa.  She had expected it to be firm because its curves were limited to a gentle hump, but its extra thick seat and back cushions softly cradled her body.  She would be comfortable sleeping on it.

She leaned back, crossed her legs, and scanned the room from where she sat.  Several ample armchairs faced the sofa and they all surrounded one low massive coffee-colored coffee table.  The beige-toned seating appeared to float a little above the dark floor.  Except for two wall-size abstract paintings, walls were bare.

Everything seemed, to Elise, fashionable but understated; tasteful and clean.  A little too clean.

Greg sat on a chair across from her.

“Where’s the main entry to your house?”

“On the other side of that wall, just behind you.”

She turned her head to look.  The inside wall behind the sofa was made of large, smooth white panels that stopped a couple of feet below the high ceiling.

“Slick.  Very modern,” she said, but frowning, she thought everything in the living area had to be merely the façade.

He smiled, cool and vague.  “May I show you the rest of the house before we have that champagne?”

“Might as well.”  They rose at the same time.

He led her up a wide staircase, through a hallway and into a study that seemed to her had more room than the apartment she shared with her friend and roommate, Leah.  Classical music greeted them as Greg opened the door.  Elise recognized it as the slow movement from a Brahms piano sonata which she had heard her mother play many times.  She wondered whether he turned the music on by remote or it was on all the time.

The study had book cases—more stainless steel and wood—along two parallel walls, a big desk and office chair in front of another, and a well-worn cozy sofa and a coffee table in the middle.  Surfaces in the room were cluttered with books, folders, magazines, and folded newspapers. At one corner, a guitar leaned on the wall, next to its case.  Elise knew, without asking, that this was where Greg spent most of his time.

“I could show you my bedroom, if you like.  But there’s not much in it.  The bed and a couple of tables, an armchair.  It’s less than half the size of this room.  The other two rooms up here are the bathroom and a kind of dresser, walk-in closet.”

“It’s your house.  Your call,” Elise said, as she walked to the corner against which the guitar rested.  She passed her fingers lightly along its strings.  “This looks like an expensive classical guitar.  Do you play?”

“I do.  Not as much as I used to.  But I have strummed those strings when I’m all stressed out or I can’t sleep at night.  It helps me unwind.  I took lessons in my teens.”

She regarded him curiously, her brow knitted over her eyes.  “You didn’t seem to me the type who would play a musical instrument.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t know.  I think that implies someone sensitive, artistic; feminine, maybe?  I could definitely imagine you whacking racquet balls, but”—she paused and looked him straight in the eye—“playing a musical instrument, listening to classical music?  I’d have said, no way.”

“Does it change your opinion of me?”  Greg’s eyes gleamed with amusement.  “Do you like me any less?”

Elise grinned.  “I like you more, actually.”

“Do you play?  A musical instrument, I mean.”

“I studied piano until I was 15.  I play okay.  Not like my mother, though.  She could have been a concert pianist.”

“So, why didn’t she become one?”

“Love, marriage, children.  I guess sometimes she wishes she had followed her dreams.  I wish she did, too.  I would have been so proud of her.”

“Maybe, she believed career and family don’t mix.”

“Maybe.  In her time, many women could have believed that.”  Elise looked away, her face flushed.

Greg had been staring at her since she walked around his living room.  She spun halfway around and gave the bookshelves her full attention, her back to him.  She started inspecting books, many of them on technology and programming, and a couple she knew her mother also owned, by Peter Mayle on living in Provence.

She went around the room once more.  “Your house is awesome but I didn’t expect you to choose a modern, almost minimalist house.  Downstairs, anyway.”  She chuckled, as her gaze flew across the study.

“Oh?  And what did you expect?”

“I’m not sure; at first, maybe I expected ostentatious.  Like most mansions around here, with pricey period furniture, one of which could have paid for my entire college education.  But where are all the other rooms?”

“That’s it, I’m afraid.  A bachelor’s one bedroom pad.”

“It’s hardly just a pad.  Mine is.”

“Shall we go back down and have that glass of champagne?”  Greg pointed towards the door with his hand.

“Can we have it here?  It’s impressive down there but kinda too hard and too cold for me.  I’m more comfortable here, with these books and the lived-in clutter.”

“We can do that.”  He grinned.  The first warm, heartfelt smile Elise had seen since that uncomfortable conversation with her parents’ friends.

He went to his desk, pushed a button and talked into an intercom.

“Wow, all the modern conveniences!”

Elise settled on the sofa and peeked into a couple of folders on the coffee table.  Greg joined her, holding what looked, to her, like a photo album.  He piled magazines and newspapers on top of each other and cleared a space on the coffee table, where he put the album down.

“I don’t see any computers or televisions anywhere in this room.”

“I have a laptop.  It’s stashed away in my desk.  Downstairs, there’s a projector and a screen hidden in wall cabinets.  Oh, I do have a television.  It’s inside another compartment in my desk.”

“Which you can pull up with the push of a button.  I should have guessed.”

Greg laughed.  “And I guessed right.  You would rather have your champagne up here.”

“I like the clean look in your living area.  The large solid pieces—both old and new—seem so like you.  But, I don’t think I’d want to spend too much time there.  I can’t walk around in my bare feet.”

“Believe it or not, you’ll want to do that in the summer.  The concrete floor stays cool.  But I, myself, don’t use that room much, as you can see.  That’s my public face.  It’s for guests.  Very few friends have been invited in here.”

“Like Lori,” Elise could not help saying.

“Well ….”  Greg paused.  “She was in here once but she’s uncomfortable in this room.  Too many things in it.  My living room doesn’t suit her, either.  Too little in it.”  He laughed again, this time, with his self-conscious, self-mocking tone.

Elise suppressed her impulse to say, “The bedroom, then.”  But all she did was bite her lower lip.  The fact went without saying: Lori had access to the bedroom, which he politely denied her.

A middle-aged swarthy man arrived with champagne in a bucket of ice and one glass, both of which Greg took from him.  He seemed surprised to find her there.  “I’m sorry, Greg.  I thought you were alone.”

“It’s okay, Bob.  I forgot to mention I had company.  Bring one more glass up, will you, please?”  Greg placed the bucket and the glass on the coffee table.

“You must have an extra room somewhere for Bob,” Elise said, after he left the room.

“There’s a house in the back.  That’s where he lives with his wife and two kids.  Bob has been with me since I took over my father’s business.  He married Alicia just before I had this house built.  They take very good care of me.  I’d trust Bob with my life.”

When Bob returned with the second glass, Greg introduced him.  Elise rose from the couch, extended her hand to Bob and flashed him a warm smile.  “A loyal friend from what I’ve heard.”

Bob hesitated, then shook her hand and gave her a sheepish grin.  “I’m sorry, Miss Halverson, I’m not used to Greg’s women friends shaking my hand.”

“Well, those are his girlfriends.  I’m just a friend.  Like you are, so call me Elise.”

Bob chuckled and glanced at Greg with amused eyes.

“Greg says you’re like family to him.”

“Ah, yes.  Mr. Thorpe, Greg’s father, hired me as a chauffeur, months before he died.  Greg kept me on, at first, to drive him around.  But he likes to drive himself, so I took on other duties.”

“So, you’ve been with Greg ten years.  That sounds to me like real loyalty.  It’s unusual nowadays.”

“Yes, I married and had a family in those years.”

“Do you have children?”

“Two very healthy boys, 5 and 8 years old.”

“They must keep you on your toes.”

Before Bob could answer, Greg said, with a smile, “Now he treats me like I’m his oldest son.”  He turned to Bob.  “Padre, mi Madre esta esperando.

Bob chuckled again.  “Elise, I’d like to talk some more but my wife’s waiting.”

He regarded Greg thoughtfully for a moment or two, smiled at Elise, and bade them goodnight.

Click here to download the entire book: E Journey’s Hello, My Love!>>>

*  *  *

Need More Romance in Your Life? We Got Your Fix ;)

Free and Bargain romance eBooks delivered straight to your email everyday! Subscribe now! http://www.bookgorilla.com/kcc

BookGorilla-logo-small

Six Free Bestselling Kindle eBooks! Download Now While Still Free!
Spotlight 5-Star Freebie: D. Rus’s AlterWorld

Join our thousands of happy readers. It’s FREE!

Get Deep Discounts on Premium Bestsellers, Plus Free Books for Your Kindle! – Subscribe now http://www.bookgorilla.com/kcc

button_subscribe

BookGorilla-logo-small(1)

But first, a word from ... Today's Sponsor
The mix of humans, non-player characters and artificial intelligence actors and their individual evolution is an interesting interweaving of plots and potentials that expand and flex as the story continues. I liked it a lot.
AlterWorld (Play to Live: Book #1)
by D. Rus
5.0 stars - 46 reviews
Supports Us with Commissions Earned
Text-to-Speech and Lending: Enabled
Here's the set-up:
A new pandemic - the perma effect - has taken over Earth of the near future. Whenever you play your favorite online game, beware: your mind might merge with the virtual world and dump its comatose host. Woe be to those stuck forever in Tetris! And still they're the lucky ones compared to those burning alive eternally within the scorched hulls of tank simulators.

But some unfortunates - the handicapped and the terminally ill, shell-shocked army vets, wronged crime victims and other society misfits - choose to flee real life willingly, escaping to the limitless world of online sword and sorcery MMORPGs.

Once a seasoned gamer and now a terminal cancer patient, Max grasps at this final chance to preserve his life and identity. So he goes for it - goes for the promise of immortality shared with a few trusty friends and the woman he loves. Together they roam the roads of AlterWorld and sample its agony and ecstasy born of absolute freedom.
One Reviewer Notes:
This was more than just a story about someone immersing themselves permanently in an MMO (online game). It spent lots of time dealing with the mechanics of that world and the details of items, buffs, stats and other game related stuff. That's a recipe for a really dull book... but somehow the author made it interesting, fascinating even. The characters are vivid and well developed. The virtual world feels cohesive and real, with glimpses of a much darker side showing through from time to time. The only downside I can see is that it might not appeal to true non-gamers. While I'm not hooked on MMOs I have played quite a few and I've been a gamer for far too many years so most of the terminology was familiar to me. That said, even if you aren't into games I think this is well worth checking out.
Simon Goodson
About the Author
D. Rus is a young Russian author whose books took the Russian literary market by storm in 2013. AlterWorld - the first novel of his Play to Live series - made him a bestselling author overnight as critics now credit him with single-handedly creating a new science fiction genre: LitRPG.
Set in the virtual reality of MMORPG - Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games - his books tell stories of real people who D. Rus is a young Russian author whose books took the Russian literary market by storm in 2013. AlterWorld - the first novel of his Play to Live series - made him a bestselling author overnight as critics now credit him with single-handedly creating a new science fiction genre: LitRPG. Set in the virtual reality of MMORPG - Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games - his books tell stories of real people who'd become stuck in the game and are forced to follow its rules while preserving their intergrity and fighting to make their new world a better place. The five books of the series have created a huge following as more authors followed suit, making LitRPG the latest bestselling Russian genre that merges science fiction, fantasy and gaming conventions. D. Rus has been nominated for Start, one of Russia's prestigious literary prizes for the best debut science fiction novel. The first two novels of the Play to Live series - AlterWorld and The Clan - have been translated into English, and talks are under way to have the rest of the series published on Amazon.
UK CUSTOMERS: Click on the title below to download
AlterWorld (Play to Live: Book #1)

★★Discount Links & Free Books★★

Always check the price before you buy! This post is dated Sept. 30, 2014. The titles mentioned may remain free only until midnight PST tonight.

KND refers to prices on the main Amazon.com website for US customers. Check the price on Amazon before making a purchase.

*  *  *

Check out our Free Book Search Tool for a boatload of free books

or check here for the best deals today on Kindle!

100kindlebooksKDDeals

 

bookgorilla99cent

 

 

 

Bedding The Wrong Brother (Bedding the Bachelors Book 1)
4.3 stars – 514 Reviews
Text-to-Speech and Lending: Enabled
Here’s the set-up:

Determined to find her inner sex diva, Melina Parker enlists her childhood friend, Max Dalton, to tutor her after hours. Instead, she ends up in the wrong bed and gets a lesson in passion from Max’s twin brother, Rhys Dalton, a man Melina’s always secretly wanted but never thought she could have.

* * *

The Fall Of White City (Gilded Age Mysteries Book 1)
4.0 stars – 5 Reviews
Text-to-Speech and Lending: Enabled
Here’s the set-up:

Chicago in the 1890’s is the fastest growing metropolis in America. It rivals New York as the City Of The Century and the epitome of the Gilded Age. This melting pot of thieves and corrupt politicians, robber barons and immigrants, is rife with scandal and social injustice. Evangeline LeClair and Freddie Simpson find themselves repeatedly drawn into the hidden world of intrigue and murder that lurks in the shadows of the White City.

* * *

Shades of Honor: A Forbidden Once-in-a-lifetime Love (Grayson Brothers Book 1)
4.4 stars – 409 Reviews
Text-to-Speech and Lending: Enabled
Here’s the set-up:

Everything Radford Grayson wanted was in his hometown: his beloved mother and brothers, and the unscarred part of himself he’d left behind. After surviving a gruesome war, all Radford wants is to work the family sawmill and make a real home for his young daughter. But Evelyn—his brother’s fiancée—reaches into his darkness with her healing love and makes him feel whole again for the first time in years.

* * *

Cold

by Sha Jones

Cold
3.7 stars – 127 Reviews
Text-to-Speech: Enabled
Here’s the set-up:

Lies and betrayal is definitely an understatement when it comes to the life of prosecutor Tiffany Moore. Weird things have been happening to her for the past few weeks and no one can help her, not even her cool, calm and collective defense attorney husband Michael Moore. The stranger things become, the more Tiffany finds herself falling into depression. She confides in her friends, hoping that they can give her the answers that she needs.

* * *

Hearts Afire

by Monique McDonell

Hearts Afire
4.2 stars – 51 Reviews
Text-to-Speech and Lending: Enabled
Here’s the set-up:
A jilted bride, a sexy fireman, a tropical island, a fear of the ocean,  a fear of commitment, a new neighbour, an old flame, a secret identity – this is the story of HEARTS AFIRE.  Cassie Callahan is not having a great day. First her fiancé jilts her hours before the wedding and then her sister sets off the alarm and sprinklers at her catering business, flooding the premises, soaking the wedding banquet and bringing the fire department.

More Freebies on BookGorilla!

button_subscribe

★★★★★

Join our thousands of happy subscribers. It’s FREE!

Get Deep Discounts on Premium Bestsellers, Plus Free Books for Your Kindle! – Subscribe now http://www.bookgorilla.com/kcc

BookGorilla-logo-small(1)

Grab 12 scorching hot shifter romances for one great price with this BOXED SET ALERT! Highland Shifters: Paranormal Romance Boxed Set by New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors – 99 Cents!!

Highland Shifters: Paranormal Romance Boxed Set

by Michelle Fox, Red Phoenix, Tabitha Conall, Liliana Rhodes, Adriana Hunter, Sarah Makela, Arial Burnz, Lisa Carlisle, Victoria Danann, Ripley Sage, Sel

Highland Shifters: Paranormal Romance Boxed Set
4.9 stars – 94 Reviews
Kindle Price: 99 cents
On Sale! Everyday price: $9.99
Text-to-Speech: Enabled
Here’s the set-up:

12 scorching hot shifter romances for only $0.99!
LIMITED TIME ONLY! (REGULAR PRICE $9.99)

NO cliffhangers!

Find out what’s under that kilt in this collection of steamy shapeshifter romances! NY Times and USA Today bestselling authors such as Selena Kitt, Michelle Fox, Tabitha Conall, Adriana Hunter and Liliana Rhodes offer stories featuring hot alpha shifters in kilts. Most of the 12 stories in the collection are brand new!

Are you ready to peek under the plaid?

Her Scottish Alpha by Tabitha Conall: In the midst of trying to figure out their mating, Alpha werewolf Lachlan and dragon slayer Keira have to find Keira’s missing sister, fight a war and save Lachlan’s life.Liulf by Victoria Danann: For two thousand years the Scotia werewolves have enjoyed the protection of the Fae Monarchy, but the world is changing and the tribe must adapt or face extinction. Or move.

Highland Wolf Pact by Selena Kitt: Englishwoman Sibyl Blackthorne escapes her arranged marriage to a cruel Scot only to find herself in the arms of something even more dangerous – and discovers only one wild heart can claim another.

Kiss the Dragon by Michelle Fox: A cursed dragon finds his maiden is already claimed by the future. If he can’t save her, she can’t save him.

By the Light of the Scottish Moon by Red Phoenix: Bryn, the pack leader, is so lost in his own pain he can’t see beyond it. Freya is dying & has come home to Scotland.to say goodbye. Her fate lies in his hands – but to save her he must kill her.

The Highlander’s Mate by Liliana Rhodes: Centuries after an ancient curse on his clan tore werewolf Bran MacCulloch away from his mate Ainsley Drummond, he catches her scent on the breeze. But how can it be her?

Highland Moon Rising by Sarah Makela: When wereleopard Caitlyn returns home to see her werewolf half-brother after he’s rescued from scientists, she’s imprisoned by the Pack. Will the Alpha who hungers for her be the protector she needs?

Knights of Stone by Lisa Carlisle: Gargoyles, tree witches, and shifters have divided their Scottish isle. When a witch breaches into another territory, she’s tempted by a forbidden attraction that may affect the future for all.

The Zrakon’s Curse by Linda Barlow: Sea dragon shifter Colin Malloch’s need for a mate draws a woman from another world into grave danger. How can he keep her safe when his own brother demands her life?

To Tame a Highlander by Adriana Hunter: Curvy nurse Aspyn Montgomery’s night takes a sudden turn when a patient she watched die suddenly turns up at her apartment desperately needing help. Can fated love triumph over the threat of war?

Roots and Fang by Skye Eagleday & Ripley Sage: When McKay takes a male Fae lover it triggers the deadly jealousy of the powerful Pooka shape-shifter the Fae abandoned. Can love conquer all when only one of you is human?

Midnight Hunt by Arial Burnz: As Broderick unravels the mystery of why Monika reminds him of his late wife, his quest for answers causes a chain of events, starting a witch hunt, dooming them both to the fiery stake of judgment.

*  *  *

Need More Romance in Your Life? We Got Your Fix ;)

Free and Bargain romance eBooks delivered straight to your email everyday! Subscribe now! http://www.bookgorilla.com/kcc

BookGorilla-logo-small

Free Today! Over 350 Rave Reviews! Don’t Miss Wendy Lindstrom’s Award-Winning Shades of Honor: A Forbidden Once-in-a-lifetime Love (Grayson Brothers Book 1)

Shades of Honor: A Forbidden Once-in-a-lifetime Love (Grayson Brothers Book 1)

by Wendy Lindstrom

Shades of Honor: A Forbidden Once-in-a-lifetime Love (Grayson Brothers Book 1)
4.4 stars – 409 Reviews
Text-to-Speech and Lending: Enabled
Or check out the Audible.com version of Shades of Honor: A Forbidden Once-in-a-lifetime Love (Grayson Brothers Book 1)
Here’s the set-up:

With over 250 5-star reviews, RITA award-winner SHADES OF HONOR kicks off this NY Times & USA Today bestselling Grayson Brothers series by Wendy Lindstrom.

When love is forbidden should you walk away or grab that one true love with both hands?

Everything Radford Grayson wanted was in his hometown: his beloved mother and brothers, and the unscarred part of himself he’d left behind. After surviving a gruesome war, all Radford wants is to work the family sawmill and make a real home for his young daughter. But Evelyn—his brother’s fiancée—reaches into his darkness with her healing love and makes him feel whole again for the first time in years. Torn between his unexpected and forbidden love for Evelyn and a desperate need to honor and protect his brother, Radford discovers that his fiercest enemy is his own heart. The one woman he can’t have is the only woman he wants.

Reviews

“Remember how LaVyrle Spencer’s books swept you away to another place and time while you fell madly, passionately in love with her fabulous characters? Shades of Honor [takes one] to that height of reading pleasure…fresh, vibrant characters, impossible situations, and genuine, heartfelt emotions…masterfully woven…into a passionate romance that will have you smiling as you shed a few tears.” —The Romance Readers Connection

“A perfect ten…Shades of Honor is one story that should not be missed!” —Romance Reviews Today

“…Lindstrom’s superbly written, beautifully poignant debut romance has a wonderful emotional richness and depth of characterization that will appeal to readers who love authors like Lorraine Heath and Maggie Osborne. —John Charles, American Library Association

And here, in the comfort of your own browser, is your free sample of Shades of Honor by Wendy Lindstrom:

The bestselling Grayson Brothers series:

Book One: Meet Radford Grayson and the Grayson family in RITA Award-winning SHADES OF HONOR. The one woman he can’t have is the only woman he wants.

Book Two: Continue the series with Kyle Grayson in THE LONGING—a Romantic Times 4 1/2 star Top Pick! A marriage of convenience…and intoxicating desire. To save their marriage he must show her every shade of love.

Book Three: Boyd Grayson makes the most of his playboy charm in the Amazon bestseller LIPS THAT TOUCH MINE. A charming rogue…an abused woman. She greeted him with her gun—Can he disarm her with his love?

Book Four: Meet sexy sheriff Duke Grayson in the Amazon bestseller KISSING IN THE DARK. A woman in danger with a hidden past. To protect her, he would risk everything—his badge…his heart.

Book Five: SLEIGH OF HOPE (A Grayson Brothers Christmas) is a novella about Adam Grayson. A boy learns about love, the spirit of giving, and what it means to become a man of integrity.
SLEIGH OF HOPE is a family-friendly, deeply emotional Christmas story that reviewers say is “Bound to become a classic.”

Coming soon…LEAVE IT FOR THE RAIN, Adam Grayson’s adult love story. A Love She Couldn’t Remember—A Woman He Couldn’t Forget. Best friends since childhood, Adam and Rebecca Grayson share a love like no other—until a tragic accident steals Rebecca’s memory just weeks before their wedding. Devastated that his beautiful fiancée and best friend doesn’t remember their tender past or passionate plans for the future, Adam is determined to help her heal. But first he must win her love all over again.

(This is a sponsored post.)