Release Blitz - Danger on the Mountain by Carolyn LaRoche

Title: Danger on the Mountain
Series: Marshall Brothers #3

Author: Carolyn LaRoche

Publisher: Hot Tree Publishing

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Release Date: September 4, 2021

BLURB

She's sold her soul to the devil for the last time...

When an unexpected inheritance comes her way, high-powered defense attorney, Layla Evans, gives up everything she's known and seizes the opportunity to start over. The mountain ranch is the perfect escape from a life she can no longer stand. In the solitude of her mountain escape, she can wrestle her demons and never hurt anyone with her job again.

She never counted on her past following her there.

Ben Marshall knows a thing or two about running away…

After a decorated military career ended in the worst way possible, Ben leaves his Special Forces unit and seeks sanctuary high in the Blue Ridge Mountains. He needs the solitude. It’s enough, until a beautiful brunette, who has no business running a ranch, literally falls into his life. When Layla’s past catches up to her, Ben's old instincts kick in. His need to keep Layla safe becomes stronger than his desire to protect himself from her.

Can he protect Layla without risking his battered heart or will love truly conquer all?

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EXCERPT

It pained him to hear the roughness of her voice. A solid reminder that he'd almost lost her. The battle that had waged inside him since meeting her had amped back up to full scale.

When the nurse was gone, Ben tried again to explain himself. "I was engaged once, you know."

"Nope. I had no idea," Layla answered without looking up from her drink. Her apparent indifference hit him right in the heart. "You haven't said much about yourself."

"Her name was Lauren. According to her, I'm not fit for a serious adult relationship."

"Just because it didn't work out with her you consider yourself unable to care about anyone else?"

Man, she isn’t making this easy on me. "It goes much deeper than that, Layla. I've seen things, done things."

"We all have regrets, believe me." She sounded sad and a little wistful. Like she had some serious secrets of her own.

"I was in the Air Force. Special forces. My job… well, things happened. Things I could never get over. Lauren knew it, and now, after messing things up with her so badly, so do I."

Layla set her cup down on the bedside table. "So, because things didn't work out with one relationship, you left your home, your family, and a job I think you loved to come live on a mountain, sentencing yourself to a lifetime of loneliness and self-pity?"

He exhaled slowly. "You don't know what it's like to live in my head. Besides, didn't you basically do the same thing?"

"This isn't about me!"

He leaned forward, looking her in the eyes. "Are you saying you don't have any secrets of your own? Secrets that sent you to the same isolated mountain as me? Secrets that seem to want to see you suffer, maybe even die?"

Layla threw her hands in the air, knocking her cup over. Thankfully it was empty. "I'm not the one saying I want to kiss you but I can't because of my messed up past."

"Maybe not. You certainly haven't shared all the details though, have you?"

"I never kissed you."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"It has everything to do with it." Layla yawned and pulled her blanket up to her chin. "I think we're done discussing whose life is more messed up. I'm pretty sleepy now anyway."

He jumped up and paced the room, unwilling to accept her dismissal without making her understand. "You just don't get it. I'm broken, Layla, and I'm no good for you. Even if I wish I were with every fiber of my being."

She pounded a fist against the bed beside her. "Don't you think I should get a say in this? I mean, maybe I'm broken too? Maybe we would help each other? You kissed me. Not just once. I know you felt what I did. Are you willing to give up what you might have because of what you once lost?"

"I've lost so much more than you know." He sat down again then leaned forward resting his elbows on his knees and holding his head in his hands. "It's better for you if you don't get involved with me, believe me."

"Well, it seems you’ve made up my mind for me, so there's really nothing else to talk about. Have a good night, Ben. What's left of it anyway." She rolled away from him.

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Carolyn LaRoche grew up in snow country but fled the cold and ice several years ago. She now lives near the beach with her husband and their two sons. She’s been known to lug her laptop to the baseball fields and keeps a notebook by her bed to jot down the next big story idea in the wee hours of the night.

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Cover Reveal - Danger on the Mountain by Carolyn LaRoche

Title: Danger on the Mountain
Series: Marshall Brothers #3

Author: Carolyn LaRoche

Publisher: Hot Tree Publishing

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Cover Design: BookSmith

Release Date: September 4, 2021

BLURB

She’s sold her soul to the devil for the last time…

When an unexpected inheritance comes her way, high powered defense attorney Layla Evans give everything she's know up and seizes the opportunity to start over. The mountain ranch is the perfect escape from a life she can no longer stand. In the solitude of her mountain escape she can wrestle her demons and never hurt anyone with her job again. She never counted on her past following her there.

Ben Marshall knows a thing or two about running away…

After a decorated military career ended in the worst way possible, Ben leaves his Special Forces unit and seeks sanctuary high in the Blue Ridge Mountains. He needs the solitude. And it is enough, until a beautiful brunette who has no business running a ranch, literally falls in to his life. When Layla’s past catches up to her, Ben's old instincts kick in. His need to keep Layla safe becomes stronger than his desire to protect his heart. Can he save Layla and heal his battered soul?

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EXCERPT

It pained him to hear the roughness of her voice. A solid reminder that he'd almost lost her. The battle that had waged inside him since meeting her had amped back up to full scale.

When the nurse was gone, Ben tried again to explain himself. "I was engaged once, you know."

"Nope. I had no idea," Layla answered without looking up from her drink. Her apparent indifference hit him right in the heart. "You haven't said much about yourself."

"Her name was Lauren. According to her, I'm not fit for a serious adult relationship."

"Just because it didn't work out with her you consider yourself unable to care about anyone else?"

Man, she isn’t making this easy on me. "It goes much deeper than that, Layla. I've seen things, done things."

"We all have regrets, believe me." She sounded sad and a little wistful. Like she had some serious secrets of her own.

"I was in the Air Force. Special forces. My job… well, things happened. Things I could never get over. Lauren knew it, and now, after messing things up with her so badly, so do I."

Layla set her cup down on the bedside table. "So, because things didn't work out with one relationship, you left your home, your family, and a job I think you loved to come live on a mountain, sentencing yourself to a lifetime of loneliness and self-pity?"

He exhaled slowly. "You don't know what it's like to live in my head. Besides, didn't you basically do the same thing?"

"This isn't about me!"

He leaned forward, looking her in the eyes. "Are you saying you don't have any secrets of your own? Secrets that sent you to the same isolated mountain as me? Secrets that seem to want to see you suffer, maybe even die?"

Layla threw her hands in the air, knocking her cup over. Thankfully it was empty. "I'm not the one saying I want to kiss you but I can't because of my messed up past."

"Maybe not. You certainly haven't shared all the details though, have you?"

"I never kissed you."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"It has everything to do with it." Layla yawned and pulled her blanket up to her chin. "I think we're done discussing whose life is more messed up. I'm pretty sleepy now anyway."

He jumped up and paced the room, unwilling to accept her dismissal without making her understand. "You just don't get it. I'm broken, Layla, and I'm no good for you. Even if I wish I were with every fiber of my being."

She pounded a fist against the bed beside her. "Don't you think I should get a say in this? I mean, maybe I'm broken too? Maybe we would help each other? You kissed me. Not just once. I know you felt what I did. Are you willing to give up what you might have because of what you once lost?"

"I've lost so much more than you know." He sat down again then leaned forward resting his elbows on his knees and holding his head in his hands. "It's better for you if you don't get involved with me, believe me."

"Well, it seems you’ve made up my mind for me, so there's really nothing else to talk about. Have a good night, Ben. What's left of it anyway." She rolled away from him.

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AUTHOR BIO

Carolyn LaRoche grew up in snow country but fled the cold and ice several years ago. She now lives near the beach with her husband and their two sons. She’s been known to lug her laptop to the baseball fields and keeps a notebook by her bed to jot down the next big story idea in the wee hours of the night.

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Release Blitz - Blue Ridge Murder by Carolyn LaRoche

Title: Blue Ridge Murder

Series: Marshall Brothers #2

Author: Carolyn LaRoche

Publisher: Hot Tree Publishing

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Release Date: September 26, 2020

BLURB

Parole Officer Alayna Baron fell in love once. Never again. The only relationship she needed was with her job. When her roommate surprises her with a long weekend in the mountains, she reluctantly agrees—completely unaware it’s a singles' matchmaking event. 

Detective Evan Marshall, widowed at a very young age, thought he'd had his one chance at love. When his brothers send him away for the weekend, the thought of romance never crossed his mind. At least, not until he found the intriguing Alayna stranded on the side of the road. 

When a massive snow storm closes the roads and bodies start piling up at the inn where they are staying, Evan and Alayna join forces in an attempt to keep the other guests safe. But even with a murderer hidden amongst them, Evan and Alayna find a spark neither was looking for. If only they can stay alive long enough to explore it…

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EXCERPT

The darkness parted as headlights rounded the bend behind her car, snapping her back to her current situation. The Jeep Wrangler rolled to a stop behind her truck as the driver side window lowered. "Hey!" The driver waved to her. "You okay?" 

Alayna motioned to her disabled car, still sitting on the ground. "Just fabulous. Some idiot ran me into the side of the mountain, but I found a real comfy spot to go ahead and freeze to death, so I'm good." 

The man laughed as he opened the door and stepped out of his car. The medical boot he wore on his left foot caught her attention immediately. She pointed at the boot. "You're in worse shape than me. Maybe you should just stay in the car?" 

He shook his head. "I'm a pro with this thing now. Are you injured at all?" 

Snowflakes had already attached themselves to his dark blond hair. Alayna watched as he moved easily across the slippery pavement, only limping slightly. 

"I'm fine. Aside from being stuck in the middle of nowhere in the dark during a snowstorm." With a man who could be a godsend—or a serial killer. 

When he reached her, he extended a hand. Alayna debated for half a second on letting the man help her up. Still a little off kilter from her accident, she gave in though, suspecting the slick roadway would have its way with her again if she didn't. 

Together they walked to her wrecked vehicle. He folded his arms over his chest as he inspected the damage to her SUV. One of the big snowflakes clung to his ridiculously long lashes. Alayna resisted the urge to wipe it away. 

"It looks like your axle took a beating too. Not gonna be able to put on a spare." He laughed. "Not that it would matter." 

Alayna shrugged and waved toward the front end of her truck. "Good thing I don't have one to put on. That steam coming out from under the hood is probably gonna be a problem too. Thus, me being stranded on a mountain in a snowstorm." 

He looked her over carefully, as though considering whether to leave her there or maybe wear her skin someday. His intense scrutiny made her uncomfortable even while she kind of liked the way his blue eyes darkened to match the night sky. 

Something about him seemed very familiar. She just couldn't put her finger on it. Not just the fact that he kinda looked like Ted Bundy. 

Shifting his weight from his injured foot, he looked from her to the damaged car. 

"Do you have someone to call?" 

"I have plenty of people to call. It's just gonna take them about three or four hours to get here." She pursed her lips, then frowned down at the cell phone she held in her hand. "I guess I can walk the rest of the way after I call for roadside assistance. Oh wait, I forgot, no service on my phone. Lucky me." 

As though Mother Nature wanted to gloat, the wind picked up. Snow swirled around them as a gust whipped past. 

"Where you headed?" the man asked, yelling over the howl of the wind. 

Alayna considered for a moment whether or not she should divulge that information, but finally decided she might be able to outrun the injured man if he did, in fact, turn out to be a killer. And she did have her gun on her if she needed it. It seemed like a better plan than freezing to death. Besides, she just couldn't shake the feeling that she'd met him before, which made her feel like he was safe enough. "Blue Ridge Lodge." 

He chuckled. "Winter Singles’ Weekend Getaway?" 

Madeline hadn't mentioned anything about it being a singles’ getaway. If this were true, her best friend would be hearing from her as soon as she had service again. What a waste of a trip—and a perfectly good vehicle. She had no intention of dating ever again, and her roommate knew that. He didn’t need to know she'd been duped though. 

Narrowing her eyes at his teasing tone, she crossed her arms over her chest. "Yeah. You got a problem with that?" 

He held his hands up in mock surrender. "Not at all. My brothers signed me up for the same adventure as a gift. They think I'm depressed and it would cheer me up." 

"Depressed? That's an interesting reason to send you on a dating retreat." She shook her head, really beginning to consider the serial killer possibility. 

"They're wrong." He winked. 

Alayna shrugged. "My best friend thinks I need to spend more time with people my own age." 

He gave her an odd look but didn't push the subject. "I can give you a ride the rest of the way. We can leave your car here for the tow truck. Then you won't freeze to death waiting. In weather like this, it could take a while for them to get up here." 

Alayna looked from him to the car and back again. The temperature seemed to drop by the minute, and the snow fell faster and harder with each lost degree. She could realistically freeze to death by morning if she stayed. If she went, she could become the next missing person in the state of Virginia. Or she could be warm, dry, and fed within the hour. Her stomach growled, chiming in its vote for a meal. 

She felt confident she could defend herself against the man. The storm, however, she was much less sure of that. 

"Okay. Thanks. I'll take the ride. I just need to grab my stuff."

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AUTHOR BIO

Carolyn LaRoche grew up in snow country but fled the cold and ice several years ago. She now lives near the beach with her husband and their two sons. She’s been known to lug her laptop to the baseball fields and keeps a notebook by her bed to jot down the next big story idea in the wee hours of the night.

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Release Blitz - Murder on the Mountain by Carolyn LaRoche

Title: Murder on the Mountain
Series: Marshall Brothers #1

Author: Carolyn LaRoche
Publisher: Hot Tree Publishing

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Release Date: May 2, 2020

Blurb

Emma Thomas hasn’t been home in years. Only back in Staunton for a few months, she plans to put her investigative reporter skills to use in exposing the trafficking group using her peaceful, idyllic hometown to move drugs. But when she stumbles onto more than drugs, bullets start flying and she has to ask the one person she left Virginia to avoid for help. 

Detective Adam Marshall has been working this cartel case for months. On the precipice of breaking the organization wide open, he can’t believe the one woman he’d never been able to get over now holds the key to closing his case. His head warns him to steer clear, but his heart won’t let him walk away when Emma’s life is on the line. 

Thrown together by chance after so many years, Adam and Emma work together to break the biggest case of both of their careers and heal some old wounds in the process. Falling in love wasn’t on the docket for either of them, but things don’t always go as planned. 

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Excerpt

Twelve years she'd stayed away from Staunton, avoiding her hometown and missing her parents, to not have to do the very thing she was about to do. Emma took a deep breath and steered her car onto the street that housed the Staunton Police Department. She had no other choice. There was only one man who could help her figure this out.

She parked in front of the station, ignoring all the little pieces of glass that rained off her as she ran up the steps and pulled open the heavy front door. The entire station fell silent as she strode to the front desk, leaving a trail of leaves and little bits of broken glass behind her.

"I need to see Detective Adam Marshall. It's an emergency." She looked around the lobby. "I don't even know what time it is. Is he even here?"

"He's still here." The officer behind the desk reached for the phone. "What happened, miss? Do you need a medic?"

"No! I'm fine. I mean, I'm not, but I am. Can you just get Detective Marshall for me, please?"

He set the phone back on the receiver. "Just wait right here and I'll get him."

"Don't worry." Emma crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm not going anywhere."

***

"Sir?"

Adam looked up at the sound of the voice and tap on his office door. "What's up, Murphy?"

"There is a—woman—at the desk demanding to see you. She says it's an emergency."

Adam narrowed his eyes at the young uniformed officer. The other man had a tendency toward the dramatic, but he'd proven himself in the field. At the moment, he looked really concerned. "Are you not sure if she is a woman?"

Officer Murphy shook his head. "It's not that. You, um, have to see for yourself."

"Okay." Adam pushed his chair back from his desk and stood up. "Show me what you got."

Adam followed him out to the lobby desk but froze when he saw the woman standing there. Sticks and leaves tangled in her shoulder-length brown waves. Dirt and dried blood smudged her face, a tear in her jeans bared a scraped knee, and her light blue fleece jacket had a variety of colorful stains on it. He hadn't seen her in so long he might not have recognized her under all the debris, except he'd know that woman anywhere.

"Emma." He walked a little closer. "What happened?" What he really wanted to ask was What are you doing here?

"We need to talk." She glanced around at all the people staring at them. "In private." Emma leaned in a little, lowering her voice, as though it would matter. "It's about a crime."

He motioned toward the way he'd come. "We can talk in my office." To Murphy he said, "Please get Ms. Thomas a bottle of water."

"Yes, sir." Officer Murphy disappeared in the direction of the break room, and Adam led Emma to his office.

When they were inside and the door was closed, Emma collapsed into one of the chairs, shaking. Tears ran down her face, leaving streaks in the dirt as they trailed to her chin and dropped onto the front of her jacket.

Adam perched awkwardly on the edge of his desk, a box of tissues extended to her. Emma grabbed a couple and wiped at her eyes, then blew her nose.

"I'm sorry. I'm so not a crier." She threw the tissues in the trash can. Her hands shook noticeably.

He remembered that about her. "It's the adrenaline dump. Nothing to apologize for." A knock sounded on the door. "Come in!" Adam called.

Officer Murphy walked in and handed the bottle of water to Emma. "Do you need anything else, miss?"

She shook her head, and Adam gave him a nod of dismissal.

"So, are you going to tell me what happened?" Adam finally asked. And maybe why you specifically asked for me out of all the cops in this precinct.

Emma nodded and wrung her hands in her lap. "Yes. I just—I need a minute to gather my thoughts."

"How did you know I'd even be here?"

She shrugged. "I didn't. I just hoped you would be."

Author Bio

Carolyn LaRoche grew up in snow country but fled the cold and ice several years ago. She now lives near the beach with her husband and their two sons. She’s been known to lug her laptop to the baseball fields and keeps a notebook by her bed to jot down the next big story idea in the wee hours of the night.

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Release Boost - The Changeup by Mary Billiter

Title: The Changeup
A Resort Romances Novel

Author: Mary Billiter

Publisher: Hot Tree Publishing
Genre: Contemporary Romance
 Release Date: October 23, 2018

Blurb

True love, happiness, and lies.

A hot deputy, a woman in hiding, and a murder that changes it all. True love and the truth are often at odds in Mary Billiter’s latest installment in her resort romance series.

The Feds changed her name, occupation, and location, but Cupid and crime still found her. Both Witness Protection and her position as a hotel conference services manager require Rebel Roberts to maintain a low profile. But when she finds herself at the center of high crime and high romance at the high-rise Point Resort in Long Beach, even the best-laid plans are subject to change.

Former college baseball pitcher Ryan McHenry plans on becoming a deputy sheriff like his late uncle. But when Rebel literally stumbles on a dead body by her hotel, helping her change the narrative may throw a curve in his career plans.

Can Rebel and Ryan find true love and happiness with so many lies between them?

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Escape Clause, Rule Breakers, Spirited Away, & 

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Author Bio

Mary Billiter is a weekly newspaper columnist and fiction author. She also has novels published under the pen name, “Pumpkin Spice.”

Mary resides in the Cowboy State with her unabashedly bald husband, her four amazing children, two fantastic step-kids, and their runaway dog. She does her best writing (in her head) on her daily runs in wild, romantic, beautiful Wyoming.

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