I've been there and done that. Logged onto the computer and connected with a person. We spent days and weeks chatting, becoming good friends, even sharing personal details. I've also used my computer to find long lost loves and family members. In both cases, I ended up giving a lot of myself to these people...but isn't that what friends do... and isn't that the dangerous part about online connections? 

In Restless in LA, Robin Finn writes about a woman who is dealing with stress at home, and a loss of her own "self". She reconnects with an old friend and things take a dangerous turn. The story is gut wrenching in a good way because it happens to so many of us. We do fall in love with the person online or with the person from our past. 

This book will grip you and not let go! Funny, relevant and sexy... a must read!

It was an innocent online flirtation. Until it wasn’t…

Alexandra Hoffman thinks she has it all together. She lives with her work-obsessed husband Jason and their three challenging children in upscale Los Angeles. She never meant to “friend” her old boyfriend, Matt Daniels. She hasn’t seen him in twenty years. But as Alex’s fortieth birthday approaches, she finds herself re-connecting with Matt online—and re-reading her college journal, which details their intense connection and unresolved ending. But Alex’s hands are full with the kids, one of whom she just can’t help, no matter how hard she tries.

Lonely and alienated by the helicopter moms, and from Jason who is never around, Alex’s flirtation quickly moves from on-line to real-world. Alex realizes—too late—that she cannot trust herself. When she meets Matt for dinner, the attraction is undeniable. And when he touches her face, it’s electric. As her life spirals out of control, she clings to her free-spirited life coach, Lark, to make sense of the mess she’s made. But Lark’s advice is clear: Alex must confront her past and find the courage to face her future, even if it means risking everything.
 
What people are saying about Restless in L.A.
“Emotional, raw, and totally addictive. Any married mom with Internet access will relate to the heroine of Finn’s impressive debut novel.”  -Jillian Lauren, New York Times bestselling author of Some Girls: My Life in a Harem. 

 “An erotic, intense, kept-me-up-all-night read." -Shannon Bradley-Colleary, author of Married Sex: Fact and Fiction
​
 "So many women will relate!” -Ann Imig, Founder, LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER

EXCERPT:
He paused and took a deep breath but kept his hands up so I wouldn’t speak. “I’m not done—just wait, okay?” He turned his head to look out the window and I could see the muscles in his neck stretched taut.

“You didn’t talk to me then and you’re not talking now. But the fact remains that three weeks ago, you met me for dinner and somehow, we ended up here, in this very hotel. And you looked so beautiful and sad, and you came back to my room—I know I didn’t imagine it—and you let me take you to bed—to my bed, Alex—after twenty years! And now you don’t want to speak to me? You want to forget it ever happened? That’s your plan? Well, that’s fucked up.”

“Matt, I, I—”
​
“JUST LET ME FINISH,” he practically roared, his eyes blazing. “I know you didn’t mean for this to happen and neither did I—but it happened. And now I can hardly think of anything else. I have a life—a career, a wife, two boys—but I can’t stop checking my damn phone to see if there’s anything from you. And I want to talk to you. But I can’t. Because you won’t return my messages. And I’m fucked, Alex. I am seriously fucked.”

​

About the author:
Robin Finn spent years advocating for a child with ADHD before she began writing about it. Drawing from her background in public health and spiritual psychology, Robin’s essays appeared in The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, The Huffington Post, BuzzFeed, ADDitude Magazine, and others, as emails from parents in similar situations flooded her inbox. Inspired by their experiences arguing with schools, contending with judgy parents and stressful marriages, and intrigued by a study linking social network sites and marital infidelity, she wrote her debut novel, Restless in LA.
 
Robin has master’s degrees in public health from Columbia University and in spiritual psychology from the University of Santa Monica. She lives, writes, and searches for inner peace in Los Angeles (no pun intended).
www.robinfinn.com
 
 
 

Angels, demons, shifters and teenagers...oh and did I forget to mention the end of the world? In Book Two of the Division Series, Connie L. Smith's characters she introduced in Within the Essence must find a way to become a team and overcome their deadliest adversaries. Through the Ashes will give you the chills as the teens battle against a foe they have never dealt with before. And yet, they still find a way to fall in love!

The war has begun. The battle’s unfolding. And victory feels so distant…

The Essenced had prepared and trained, but never imagined the true horror of watching demons tearing through the Division to invade the realm. Every claw is horrific—every snarl disgusting—and the responsibility of keeping that vile terror from expanding beyond the battlefield’s borders rests in the teenagers’ hands. They thought they were ready for that challenge…

But then their confidence is shaken when a deadly new weapon emerges from the enemy’s arsenal, and well-kept secrets from the Essenced’s angelic superiors begin to surface.
​
In the midst of the carnage, can the teens find the strength within themselves, and among themselves, to grasp victory in blood-tainted hands?"
 

About the Author:
Connie L. Smith spends a decent amount of time with her mind wandering in fictional places. She reads too much, likes to bake, and might forever be sad that she doesn’t have fairy wings. And that she can’t swing dance. Much of her preferred music is severely outdated, and as an adult she’s kind of obsessed with Power Rangers. She has her BA from Northern Kentucky University in Speech Communication and History (she doesn’t totally get the connection either), and her MA in English and Creative Writing.
 
Websites:
Main Site: http://conniesmithbooks.weebly.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/clsmithbooks
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Connie-L.-Smith/e/B00E8969DG/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1474405833&sr=8-1
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7257320.Connie_L_Smith
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CLSmithbooks
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/clsmithbooks/
Sewing/Quilting Blog: http://www.sewingmachinesplus.com/sewblog/author/conniesmith/

His redemption lies beyond death. Hers lies in changing his heart.

A moment of pity costs outlaw Clayton Wilder his life when he steps in front of a bullet meant for a young boy. While his bank-robbing posse escapes, he earns a trip to the gallows. Nothing less than he deserves, but the afterlife isn't what he expected. Instead of a one-way ticket to Hell, Wilder's given the chance to redeem his soul in the Purgatory-like town of Windfall. And instead of a guardian angel, he's saddled with a being who's been dealing with souls so long, she's forgotten what living is.

After ninety-nine years as a Second Judge of Men, Joanna Casimir hopes her last assignment is an easy one. Showing her charges the error of their ways has given many a second chance at Heaven, but Wilder continually ignores her good intentions. The revenge he took on the men who killed his family left unthinkable darkness shrouding him. Even the startling revelation that he may be more than an average soul doesn't give him reason to change. When Windfall is attacked by Revenants, twisted spirits of the dead, Joanna and Wilder flee the afterlife. As humans returned to earth, Joanna is confronted by the difficulty of remaining alive in harsh circumstances with an outlaw for a companion.

Joanna's vulnerability and dedication to her belief that the afterlife can be reclaimed force Wilder to take her under his protection. With Revenants tracking them, his old gang members haunting his hideout, and a woman determined to prove there's still some goodness inside him, he'll never find peace until he promises to join the good guys and confronts the past that forced him onto the wrong side of the law.
 
Excerpt:
Integrating the newcomers often led to headaches. The roughshod outlaw gaping at his hands didn’t inspire much hope for an easy day. Like it or not, when Grand Judge Ward declared the sentence, it was up to Joanna to follow through.

She squared her shoulders. “I am Joanna Casimir. Welcome to Windfall. You’re lucky, you know. Not all the men who stand in this room come out with a sentence as light as yours. It will take some time for you to adjust to our ways, but you will be better off if you pay attention now. I expect you have several questions. This is the time to get them out of the way.”

Wilder met her gaze. “What the hell is happening?”

His leaf green eyes rounded with shock. Dark auburn hair a shade too long curled below his ears. A scruff of week-old beard colored his square jaw. Years in the sun left his skin tanned and his eyebrows bleached lighter than the rest of his hair. He still wore the clothes he’d died in. They were filthy from road wear. The worst was his scent—a collective of fear and tension.

Wilder wasn’t the most promising specimen the grand judge had thrown her way. Nevertheless, it was her duty to straighten him out. She didn’t fail. Only once, and that was early in her career. Since then, she’d kept a tighter noose on her souls.

“What do you think is happening, Mr. Wilder?”

He cast a look around the empty room. “This is a dream.”

Decades in this job and still the first thing the newly acquired blurted out was how they must be hallucinating. Joanna folded her hands together. “I’m afraid it isn’t. Do you recall your last moments on earth?”

“The hanging.” He touched his neck. “I died.”

Not a single mark from the noose showed on his skin, but that didn’t mean his trials and suffering were over. In a way, they’d begun all over again.

“Right you are. Depending on how well you behave, this place might be your home for years, though time moves a bit differently here. Your attitude and willingness to display proper behavior and repentance will determine how soon you move on.”

“Move on?” Wilder blinked. “I didn’t go straight to Hell.”

“No, but that’s still a possibility. As Grand Judge Ward explained, when you saved Joshua Peyton, you earned a chance at redemption. One chance, Mr. Wilder. I suggest you don’t squander it.” Based on his history his odds of success weren’t high, but she had to give him the benefit of the doubt.

“I’m dead,” he repeated. “This is...”

“A way station in the afterlife. You no longer have a body. The figure you’ve assumed is in the shape of your former vessel, however, you have no substance.”

Wilder flickered. His eyes sparkled with the radiance of a soul even though his skin turned translucent. Despite everything, his soul, though tarnished with the sins of his past, clung to the earth and the life he’d known.

He pressed his hand over his nose and mouth.

She met his gaze. “Although you may think you do, you don’t breathe. Your heart doesn’t beat. It’s just your soul’s way of adapting to the afterlife. You’ll never get hungry or tired or sick—barring certain circumstances. The concerns of human bodies aren’t anything to take into consideration here. Forget all that. There are ways of wearing down a soul, but we won’t worry about them now. What we must do in the time Grand Judge Ward allowed is purify your soul.”

“The woman who called me murderer.” His Adam’s apple jumped. “She was the kid’s mother?”

Joanna nodded. “Molly Peyton. She was merely passing through on her way to the other side. There’s no reason for her to stay here. She must be unhappy with the sentence, but it’s no concern of hers now.”

“Why not just send me to Hell? I deserve it. I’ve done bad things, lady. Killed, stolen, hurt people.” The shock vanished from his expression, replaced by the nastiness he’d displayed the moment he’d strolled into the courtroom. “What makes you so sure I won’t do it all again?”
 
Buy Links:
Amazon: a.co/0CuNLWa

About the Author:
A love of reading inspired Allison Merritt to pursue her dream of becoming an author who writes historical, paranormal, contemporary, and fantasy romances, often combining the sub-genres. She lives in a small town in the Ozark Mountains with her husband and dogs. It's not unusual to find her lurking in graveyards, wandering historical sites, or listening to ghost stories.

Allison graduated from College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, Missouri with a B.A. in mass communications that's gathering dust after it was determined that she's better at writing fluff than hard news.

Links:
Facebook – http://facebook.com/allisonmwrites
Twitter – http://twitter.com/allison_merritt
Goodreads – http://goodreads.com/AllisonMWrites
Pinterest - http://www.pinterest.com/allisonmwrites/
 

EXCERPT:
I jumped to my feet, feeling restless as my mind continued to speculate. He didn’t even know me. Why was he being such a major stalker? My rage tempted me to find him and demand he start answering my questions. But some sensible part reminded me that probably wouldn’t be a very good idea.

I took my frustration out on my pillow, slamming it against my wall and then falling face down on my bed. This helped me cool off a little bit. But thoughts of Gabe, Jack, and my weird connection with fire still danced in my head.

An idea occurred to me.

All this time, I was in my room, I had bought the candles, I had put them away. But none of them were lit! I got up from my bed, and made my way to the closest one.

“Light,” I commanded.

Nothing happened. The candle just sat there, perfectly untouched and brand new. I felt a little bit relieved. Maybe if my old one had been defective, then maybe everything else Jack and I had been worried about wasn’t true?

“Light!” I commanded again, a little bit more forcefully. Still nothing happened. Before giving up and giving into my endless pile of homework, I gazed at the candle and concentrated my focus.

I blocked out the sounds of the people in my hall, the cheers and laugher flowing in from my open window, and the smell of pizza originating from the dining hall around the corner. It was just me and the candle. We were the only two things in this world.
It was just us.

“Light.”

It burst into flames!

I stumbled back against my bed, shocked. I had made the candle burn, without a lighter or matches. I did that: I’d lit it. How was that possible?

I felt the heat from my anger begin to boil my blood as I realized everything Jack and I were fearful of, was true. I was in trouble.
I had no idea what I was, or what it meant. I had no idea why Gabe was stalking me. I had no answers and I didn’t know what to do or who could help me. All of my confusion just further fueled my anger. I felt myself begin to lose control. As my anger grew, so did the flame.

I stood up straight, a determination igniting in my veins. I might not have all the answers, but I sure as hell knew someone who did. Without thinking, I gave into temptation and ran out of my bedroom, down the hall, and burst through the front doors of the building. I ran past all of the buildings on Redstone Campus and into the surrounding woods. I felt the branches and leaves scrape against my skin, but still I kept running. I didn’t stop. Not until I was deep enough into the forest to find I was alone with the darkness.

​He’ll come, I thought. Soon enough, he will find me.

About the Author:
H. C. Harris has been daydreaming, imagining stories, and composing music since before she could even write! She was born and raised in New Hampshire before moving to Burlington, Vermont for college. During her senior year at the University of Vermont, she discovered she had a passion for creating fantasy stories that transported her readers to mysterious and romantic places.
​
H. C. Harris shared samples of her work with her online audience. Fans have described it as, “addicting,” “a page-turner,” and “swoon-worthy.” With their encouragement, she submitted her work to publishing companies and is now contracted with Inkspell Publishing!

She currently lives in Hartford, Connecticut where she is working on her Master’s degree in Nutrition and Dietetics. She teaches Spin classes, loves playing the piano, drinking coffee and taking her German Shepherd and Black Lab for runs!

You can follow H. C. Harris on Twitter at: @writeforlifehch, on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/hcharris.tainted/ and follow her book updates on her personal website: www.hcharris.net